The Scottish economist dedicated his life’s work to understanding the consequences – moral, social and political – of capitalism. Both neoliberals and leftwingers claim his legacy.
Anthony Kammas, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
The word ‘neoliberal’ gets thrown around a lot, often with differing and even contradictory meanings. Here, a political economist explains the origins and evolution of this complex concept.
Competition in the marketplace for ideas is different to competition in the market for ordinary goods and services. Bad ideas don’t necessarily get trashed.
Carbon pricing is the most market-based means of addressing the climate crisis, yet it is strongly opposed by politicians that claim to support free markets.
Jim Stanford, University of Sydney and Richard Denniss, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
For economics to play a more helpful, critical role, it must abandon blind faith in the free market and embrace the social, historical, and environmental context in which economics actually happens.
The history of Britain’s vote to exit from the European Union, known as Brexit, is not a tale of populist resentment toward globalization. It is a top-down story of leaders and elite ideology.
Electricity retailers need to make their prices and offers more transparent and easier for customers to understand, or risk having to submit to price regulation to drive down bills.
Are the Libertarians a viable alternative to Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? A political philosopher who studies economic justice looks at the platform.