…restrictions. Alan writes about history with real relish (he studied history before he went onto economics) and a particular fascination with the East India Company that launched Britain’s imperial conquest…
Is behavioural economics (aka nudge theory) blocking the path to progress?
There’s been an upsurge in recent decades in tackling problems by trying to change the behaviour of individuals – behavioural economics, nudge theory and a proliferation of government ‘nudge units’….
Is doughnut economics too Western? Critique from a Latin American environmentalist
…Chicago school of economics. Lin advocates a mix of Marxism and Keynesianism, of State communism and corporate capitalism, in which there is no room for sustainability. This he does openly…
What happens if we apply doughnut economics to single countries, starting with the UK?
Katherine Trebeck (@ktrebeck), Oxfam policy adviser and all round well-being guru, reports on a new effort to apply doughnut economics at a national scale, starting with the UK Every so…
Why is economic orthodoxy so resistant to change? The art of paradigm maintenance.
Ever wondered why it’s so hard to shift big institutions (and the economics profession in general) on economic policy, even when events so graphically show the need for change? I’ve…
What's New in Development and 'Why I don't have a girlfriend': talks from the Warwick Economics Summit
Warwick Economics Summit’ at the weekend – an annual event meticulously organized by students. The corridor talk was all about jobs and internships – the banks are apparently back and…
The Monty Python guide to aid and development. Part Two – Economics
So another Friday comes round, we all need a break, so following the triumph of last week’s Monty Python guide to the politics of development, let’s move on to economics………
Poor Economics – a rich new book from Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Just finished Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty, the latest Big Book on development. Like all good books, it has its own website, full…
Can we Get Davos talking about the Care Economy and Feminist Economics?
Davos is here again, which is always a fun time to be working for Oxfam. Every January, the world’s political and economic leaders jet in to Switzerland, and we try…
Claire Melamed on Data, Power and Sustainable Development
…agenda of the G7 and the G20. Everyone now cares about it, not because they’ve suddenly developed a deep love for statistics, but because it’s driving economics. Duncan: That’s really…
Why ‘political economy analysis’ has lost the plot, and we need to get back to power and politics
…economics, and succumbing to pressure to turn itself into a toolkit. Time to get back to power and politics. I loved the paper for two main reaons: it nails the…
Book Review: ‘Why we Disagree About Climate Change’, by Mike Hulme
…Hulme stands back and looks at the broader significance of climate and climate change, from the viewpoint of science, economics, religion, psychology, media, development and governance. If you want an…