Models in Political Economy: A Guide to the Arguments

This book is designed to help the general reader understand the economic reasons behind current social and political problems such as mass unemployment, cuts in living standards and the world-wide economic crisis. The fundamental differences, within the capitalist system, between the Keynesian, market and Marxist models are outlined, as are the alternatives presented by the feminist and green movements. Following this, several socialist economies - Soviet, Chinese, Yugoslav and African - are considered in detail and compared with Marx's original concepts. In the last section the author attempts to build models for understanding the future, with the current developments in capitalism, including the arms economy, and the possible transition of capitalism to socialism.