Economics and Finance

This book brings together scholars from the fields of politics, philosophy, sociology, anthropology and economics, to explore pathways towards implementing a Basic Income in Australia. It is the first book of its kind to outline avenues for implementation of a basic income specifically for Australia and responds to a gap in the existing basic income literature and published titles to provide a distinct standpoint in the exploration of basic income within the Australian contemporary policy landscape. The first section of the book outlines some of the continuing substantive and philosophical issues regarding BI implementation. In the second section of the book, authors offer practical strategies and models for progressing BI in Australia.

• Offers a comprehensive discussion of all the important aspects of the Basic Income debate for academics, policymakers and interested individuals
  
• Compares Pilot Projects and Basic Income experiments across the world, addressing case studies from Canada and the USA, Brazil, Iran, Namibia, India, Switzerland, Finland and The Netherlands
• Assesses the differing effects of Basic Income schemes and Basic Income in 5 key areas: employment market effects, social effects, economic effects, ecological effects and gender effects

Global developments in basic income have reinvigorated political debates on the necessity of progressing to universal basic income implementation. Basic income is a powerful strategy for addressing poverty gaps and growing inequality. This book provides new insights and strategies from an Australian political economy perspective to respond to implementation challenges and distributive justice. The book positions the disability dimension and disability pensions in relation to basic income to explore strategies for strengthening universal provisions. It illustrates the need for socially just conditions and adequate financing to underpin redistribution as a way of safeguarding the sustainability of basic income.

This book examines the evolution of basic income policy and research in advanced economies and is divided into two parts. The first section considers the development of basic income as a social policy initiative in advanced (OECD) nations from the 1960s to today.  It reviews what the negative income tax experiments accomplished, their limitations, and what they can lend to the design and implementation of basic income pilots or a full blown basic income program today. It also considers important developments and research in poverty and economic inequality and in technological change and labour market adjustment over the last half century. The second section focuses on the Canadian case, where the prospects for basic income are perhaps among the most promising. In addition to a review of Mincome and its lessons and limitations, this section considers important developments in poverty research by the Economic Council of Canada and the Canadian Senate in the 1960s,attempts at welfare reform, and the policy initiatives to develop a basic income for elderly Canadians that has endured to this day. Many of the important social and technological developments that are reviewed in the first part will be discussed in more detail with specific reference to the Canadian case. The evolution of the important policy innovations―the National Child Benefit and its successors and the Poverty Reduction Strategy―are outlined in detail and linked to other, more modest, income support initiatives such as the federal sales tax credit that provide a potential foundation for a comprehensive basic income plan in Canada.  Research, including recent microsimulation studies of a basic income, are critically reviewed.  Although the COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in basic income to support those hardest hit, the book argues for careful design of basic income policies in its aftermath rather than simplistic adoption of emergency pandemic measures.   

This book is Karl Widerquist’s first statement of the “indepentarian” theory of property, called, “Justice as the Pursuit of Accord” (JPA). It argues the natural-rights-based arguments for unequal private property have failed to establish that institution as right. It is a legal privilege, inconsistent with the maximum equal freedom from interference. The book discusses how to establish and maintain a property system that best promotes freedom from interference. Paying taxes and obeying regulations is part of the purchase price of the right to control, use, or use-up any good made partly out of natural resources (i.e. all goods), because doing so interferes with people who control, use, or use-up fewer natural resources. A sufficient portion of that tax revenue has to be redistributed in the form of a Universal Basic Income to ensure the property system is in the interest of everyone.

The book Post-Independence Development in Africa: Decolonisation and Transformation Prospects revisits the development debates and development realities in Africa. This is achieved by offering theoretical comments about post-independence development in Africa and by providing historical details pertaining to the development approaches adopted in Africa immediately after independence in the 1960s and mid-70s. Sitting at the intersection of two sets of scholarly literature, namely; literature on development and literature on development discourses and practices in Africa, the book comprises a mixture of detailed sector-specific accounts of the status of development on the continent. The chapters in the book also contribute to clarifying how the two strands of literature intersect using several case studies across Africa.

The second in a three-volume series, this edited volume discusses post-independence economic inclusion in selected African countries. While human development indices rise and poverty rates fall across the African continent, facilitated by recent technological and innovation development which reaches previously inaccessible regions, indicators continue to lag in several crucial areas. Economic and social inclusion, therefore, remains at the forefront of development discussions across the continent. Using a variety of case studies underpinned by multidisciplinary research approaches, the chapters in this book explore a wide range of economic and financial inclusion issues from all aspects; from benefits and challenges to the steps that need to be taken to improve the level of economic inclusion on the continent. Governments, development agencies, non-governmental organizations with a bias toward development, students, and university lecturers will all find this book interesting.

The financial-services industry has been disrupted and roiled by a perfect storm of forces. Complex regulatory-compliance requirements, aging legacy systems, dated operating models, digital innovation and fintech have rapidly changed the environment for many financial institutions worldwide. To further amplify the challenges for financial institutions globally, various regulatory bodies across the globe have enacted major legislative changes, increasing the pressure on boards and C-level executives significantly. Unlike previous years, this new regulatory focus on anti-money laundering (AML) can be seen globally as various regulatory regimes converge closer to a global standard as promulgated by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Increasing regulatory enforcement, geopolitical changes and record-setting monetary fines have made adequate AML risk management a significant challenge for financial institutions globally. In this environment, financial institutions need to become more risk agile and move from backwards looking compliance measures to proactive risk management.

This book will showcase how to transform current AML compliance efforts into more dynamic risk management solutions that help protect financial institutions against bad actors and manage regulatory risk and exposure.  Based on the author’s global experience in helping financial institutions to manage their AML risks in 60+ jurisdictions, this book calls for greater urgency from boards and senior management, policymakers and AML risk practitioners to address looming risks. From corporate governance structures, tone at the top, to more efficient ways to quantify and manage risks, this book addresses key changes financial institutions must make to evolve from strict compliance to an agile risk management framework that actually addresses their AML risks in practical ways and shift the mind set from a cost center to a value creation center.

This book presents an original interpretation of the building history of London in terms of its evolving political economy. Each of the seven ages of the city from the Roman to the modern, are portrayed through their monumental buildings, concentrating in particular on their symbolic purpose as expressions of the status and authority of those who built them. The concluding synthesis explores how these successive layers of building can be seen to be a product of the evolving class structure, the changing distribution of wealth, and the shifting struggle for political power within the city and the nation. Although the focus is on London, the analysis is applicable to any urbanized economy at any stage of development.

This book offers unique insight into London as a landscape of power and as a city that has assumed a succession of identities over the last two millennia. It will be relevant to students and researchers interested in urban economy, economic history, and thepolitical economy.

This Handbook discusses the use of public-private partnerships in law enforcement and security. Written by international experts across multiple disciplines, chapters include case studies and cross-sectional industry-wide studies of private security performance in comparison with public police and collaborated experiences of the two sectors. The Handbook uses existing experiences and public economics to suggest how to improve security and social welfare through greater competition and cooperation between public and private security. This volume provides an integrated framework to assist policymakers in both public and private agencies. This Handbook will be an important reference for scholars in public economics, public administration, criminology, and criminal justice, as well as professionals and policymakers in the public and private sectors.

Are you a current or aspiring Ph.D. student determined to overcome the challenges that lie ahead? Do not let statistics discourage you, because this comprehensive guide is here to help you defy the odds and reach the pinnacle of academic achievement. With failure rates hovering between 40% and 50%, it is crucial to equip yourself with the right skills to ensure your success.

In this book, you will embark on a transformative journey toward becoming a confident and accomplished scholar. This book takes a meticulous approach, addressing the six essential skills every Ph.D. student must possess: research, writing, presentation, time management, persistence, and collaboration. Each chapter delves into the significance of these skills within the Ph.D. process, explores the necessary competences, and provides practical strategies for their acquisition.

Armed with numerous tips, tricks, and actionable advice, this invaluable resource empowers you to optimize your performancethroughout your Ph.D. journey. Within these pages, you will discover how to assess your current skill set, identify areas for improvement, and develop a personalized academic development plan. With the aid of many informative figures and tables, you will find quick and easy access to expert guidance.

Do not let uncertainty and self-doubt hinder your progress. “Unlocking PhD Success” is your roadmap to triumph, supporting you every step of the way as you conquer the challenges of doctoral studies. Embrace this book as your trusted companion, and unlock your full potential as an exceptional Ph.D. candidate.

This book is about the crises of the world economy that have occurred from the 1970s to the present day. It makes the specific case that the global economy has experienced six crises during this 50-year period. Crises of the global economy are periods of substantial slowdown in world economic activity—as measured by investment, industrial production, trade, or unemployment—in which many national economies are technically in recession. To pose the existence of crises of the global economy implies that the world economy is a real entity with its own dynamics; it implies also that the usual approach that views national economies as the appropriate units of economic analysis has major limitations. The author provides data illustrating the global and regional manifestations of these crises of the world economy, elaborates on the concepts of world economy and economic crisis, and discusses the theories that have been used to explain them. The book shows how these recurrent global crises are discrete, countable phenomena, distinct states of an entity that can be appropriately referred to as the world or global economy, or world capitalism.

This book provides an insightful guide to the economic challenges currently defining Europe. With a particular focus on the Czech economy, it examines the impact of rampant inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the energy crisis and evaluates the social impacts of them. Through an empirical analysis, the asymmetric effects of these shocks are highlighted in relation to different social groups. Furthermore, it engages with related issues such as migration and integration policies, the evolution of the labour market, disparities in inflation’s impact, and household energy expenditure.

This book presents a practical policy framework for addressing inflation, the impact of the Ukraine conflict, and the energy crisis. It will be relevant to scholars, researchers, and policymakers interested in the political economy, labour economics, and economic policy in general.

Democratic political systems are often thought to be preferable to all others for supporting liberty. Around the world, nations that are more democratic tend to be freer across various aspects of life and human experience. This book undertakes a social scientific analysis of this claim and finds it to be wanting.

The reality of democratic systems does not adhere to popular rhetoric. One of the key reasons for this is that our system is an entangled system, one in which the realm of the political and commercial are so intertwined that they cannot be easily separated. Businessmen have political interests, and politicians have commercial interests. The implication of this entanglement is that alleviating the problems that emerge in democratic systems is not a simple matter of rolling back damaging interventions. Due to the logic of entanglement, returning to a “free market” is not possible in most cases.

The authors pull economics back to its classical roots to analyze the social orders that best allow people to live together. The world is not constantly aiming at placidity, as the prevailing economics of equilibrium would have us think. We live in a world of change and turbulence, so our social science requires a framework that deals with this turbulence robustly. Classical economists beginning with Adam Smith sought to uncover which forms of human association allowed us to live better together. The authors explain Smith’s observations, asking the same sorts of questions of readers today. Because the baseline assumption of entanglement does not allow one to divide the world so clearly into two distinct structures, the authors parallel Smith’s approach, focusing on forms of association rather than political or commercial structures. Focusing on human association, the authors help readers uncover the manifold structures humans have devised that allow them to tame the turbulence and live lives more harmoniously with others.

This book analyzes the competitiveness of European regions and presents forecasts for 2030 and 2100 under different climate scenarios. It examines the economic impact of climate change from a regional economic perspective and sheds light on various factors that influence regional competitiveness and development. Furthermore, the authors derive reflections on EU climate policy and policy recommendations from the empirical results, which will help both scientists and regional decision-makers to implement policy measures and develop successful adaptation processes for the regions and countries of the EU to climate change.

The retail industry is rapidly changing, especially as technologies advance and digital retail becomes more accessible. This book explains the ongoing poly-transformations within the retail sector, offering insight into labor market changes, real estate challenges, and sustainable development.

Throughout the book, the authors analyze and predict various ways the industry needs to change to ensure longevity and stability. One option the authors explore includes creative ways to approach alternatives to participatory retail, which requires social participation. The authors also provide insight into another approach to this topic: tech platforms. In the book, they explain how the dominance of certain platforms can—and in some cases has—led to “retail feudalism.”

To best capture the retail sector, the authors home in on the European retail sector as the primary case in the book. Chapters explore strategic adaptation and the adoption of potential policies that can help support the transitions required within this industry.

Emphasizing the necessary collaboration required between policymakers, industry professionals, and academics, The Economics of Retailing provides essential information for stakeholders ready to make informed decisions to support retailing.

This edited volume explores and makes explicit the links between neoliberal economic policies and right-wing ideology. The book focuses on the case of the US while situating these trends in the global political economy.

The book brings together contributions from an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating economics, political science and sociology to examine the connections between the economic precarity generated by neoliberalism and the rise of the far right. The book argues that the creation of a flawed capitalist system has left a vacuum in policymakers’ ability to understand the impact of economic policies on human welfare and mental health, and can be directly linked to a right-wing populist movement driven by the frustrations associated with the transition from an industrial to a post-industrial economy. Chapters consider the history of neoliberalism and comparative studies of socio-economic conditions, before tackling specific issues associated with neoliberal policy, such as the demise of unions, the decline in manufacturing jobs, the gig economy, trickle-down economics, income inequality and the rise of elites in America. This book will be of interest to a broad range of readers, including those in politics, economics, sociology, industrial organization and labour studies.

This book, the second of two volumes, provides a comprehensive overview of the core topics within Austrian economics. With a focus on macroeconomics, it explores foundational ideas within Austrian economics, including monetary and banking theory, law, capital theory, business cycles, the relationship between the market and the state, and interventionism. These ideas are contextualized within the history of economic thought, in particular the work of Ludwig von Mises. The Keynesian system, reform to the banking system, wages, social order, fiscal policy, and the political economy of ethics are also discussed.

This book offers an accessible and engaging synthesis of Austrian economics that redefines the topic within modern economics. It will be relevant to students and researchers interested in Austrian economics and the political economy.

This book offers a deep-dive analysis of the period of globalization from the late 1980s to the present through the lens of long wave theory. It traces how the end of the Cold War transformed the base of the global economy, doubling the working-class producing profits, and its superstructure, reestablishing US monopolar dominance. It explores how the ‘hyper-globalization’ of the period up to 2008 has transitioned into a new long wave of de-globalization, stagnation and multi-polar conflict. The book focuses particularly on the looming and actual wars – in trade, tech, and military terms –intertwined with world economics as the twenty-first century progresses.

The book addresses three overarching themes: globalization versus de-globalization, great power conflict versus cooperation, and trade/tech integration versus competition. It examines the shift from stagnating conditions in the late 1970s to the resurgent hyper-global capitalism of the 2000s after the integration of the former Centrally Planned Economies (CPEs) into the world market, leading to, but not ending with, the 2008 Great Financial Recession. Globalization is analysed in depth at both a national and global level, with insights on the diverging paths of US and China forming a central focus of the chapters. The book provides a comparative analysis of US and Chinese economic development and discusses how globalization inevitably produced de-globalization: reversing trends towards the integration of production, trade and finance that have defined the world economy over the last three decades. This book will be of interest to scholars and students in areas including political economy, macroeconomics, war studies, international relations and more.

Neoliberalism is a politico-economic framework that emphasizes deregulation, free trade, and minimal government intervention in the economy; further, it suggests that social issues are best addressed through market mechanisms. Responsibilization occurs when individuals internalize responsibility for addressing problems caused by large social structures, and is a salient instrument in the inculcation of neoliberal ideology. This monograph examines ethical consumption within the context of cultural neoliberalism. Using a qualitative approach, the book is organized around a series of interviews with self-identified ethical consumers and their experiences of responsibilization. The chapters explore the spaces in which these consumers deploy their efforts, the ways they attempt to shape the market through their economic agency, the ideologies that inform their approach, and the way they conceptualize their own identities as ethical consumers. Revealing the dilemmas intrinsic in the undertaking of ethical consumption, including instances of role strain, role conflict, and the frustration and sense of futility consumers can feel in the face of the global capitalist juggernaut, this volume provides a nuanced view of the behavior of the ethical consumer. As such, it will be of interest to researchers and students across the disciplines of economics, sociology, politics, and business.