The discussion focuses on three themes. One is the divergence between positions of business associations and concerns of individual entrepreneurs regarding several determinants of investment. Another issue is under what conditions economic growth can be achieved under democracy; why market reforms have generated little private investment in many cases, and which government policies and politica...

The discussion focuses on three themes. One is the divergence between positions of business associations and concerns of individual entrepreneurs regarding several determinants of investment. Another issue is under what conditions economic growth can be achieved under democracy; why market reforms have generated little private investment in many cases, and which government policies and politica...

This paper argues for a return to the social thought of the often ignored early 20 Century English thinker G.D.H. Cole. Cole combined a sociological critique of capitalism and liberal democracy with a well developed alternative in his work on Guild Socialism bearing particular relevance to advanced capitalist societies. Both of these, with their focus on the limitations on ‘free and unfettered ...

Abstract: Some scholars of the Interwar Debate on Socialism argue that the trial and error method developed by Taylor (1929), Lange (1938), and Dickinson (1939) proved that socialism could match or outperform capitalism. Other scholars argue that the trial and error method of simulating markets was an illegitimate compromise between true socialism and capitalism. The market socialists failed to...

alph's Pretty Good Grocery, for those like me who miss popular culture allusions, is a fictional shop in the imaginary Minnesota town of Lake Wobegon, a place invented by the humorist Garrison Keilor. Its slogan is 'If you can't get it at Ralph's, you can probably get along without it'. For political scientist John Mueller, this slogan sums up capitalism and democracy. They may not supply every...

The debate over the contribution of the Internet to democracy is farfrom settled. Some point to the empowering effects of online discussionand fund raising on recent electoral campaigns in the US to argue thatthe Internet will restore the public sphere. Others claim that the Internetis just a virtual mall, a final extension of global capitalism into everycorner of our lives. This paper argues f...