Реклама. ООО «ЛитРес», ИНН: 7719571260.
The author
Foreword
Preface
Summary
1. Capitalism relies on greed and selfishness
Incentives and the invisible hand
The parable of the steel company
Is greed good?
Conclusion
2. Economists believe people are perfectly rational
Some models are useful
Rational choice and behavioural economics
Have we found angels to govern us?
Rational consumers and irrational voters
Conclusion
3. Economists think GDP is all that matters
A blind obsession?
No design for life
Conclusion
4. Economists think we live in a free market
A free market is not anarchy
Capitalists don’t like free markets
Planning, private and public
Conclusion
5. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer
Higher wages for all
The progress of the poor relative to the rich
Conclusion
6. We are working ever longer hours
Conclusion
7. Rich countries will not benefit from more economic growth
Growth scepticism
In defence of growth
Conclusion
8. There is a paradox of prosperity
Other people’s consumerism
Ferraris, Porsches and other preferences
Conclusion
9. Inequality is rising in Britain
Why inequality rose in the 1980s
Taxes, benefits and inequality
Inequality and recession
The one per cent
10. Inequality is the cause of health and social problems
Selection bias
Ignoring outliers
Dismissal of economic growth as a factor
Ignoring history
Mechanisms
Selective criteria
Consensus?
The panacea temptation
Why inequality?
Conclusion
11. If you’re born poor, you die poor
Absolute and relative mobility
Towards a meritocracy
Conclusion
About the IEA
‘I think there is a truth, and I think that economists have found a significant amount of the truth in economic behaviour. There are a lot of things we do not know, but there are also a lot of things we do know, which non-economists get completely wrong.’
Gary Becker (Herfeld 2012: 85)
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Editorial and Programme Director
Institute of Economic Affairs
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