Economic Ideas, Policy and National Culture: A Comparison of Three Market Economies

All human beings develop a certain view on the world, and individuals belonging to the same national cultures are likely to develop very similar views with one another. In this same manner, academic economists and policymakers are consistently exposed to the same view on the preferred way of organizing an economy as the rest of the population of their given country. This book explores the economic impacts of these shared cultural values, focusing on the wider economies of the USA, Germany, and France.
These three countries represent broadly different types of economic organization and their corresponding economic ideologies: a free market economy, a coordinated market economy, and a hierarchical market economy. The contributors to this edited volume work to examine the extent to which the shared worldviews between academic economists, policymakers, the wider population, and the tradition of each economic thought in which the economy fits, impacts these economies. In particular, the chapters look at the design of the labor market, the financial system, competition policy, and monetary policy. The work also explores the extent to which the shared views on national culture and economic systems and policies in these countries contribute to the population’s well-being overall.
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