Monitoring the State or the Market
From Laissez Faire to Market Fundamentalism

Many economists argue that economic analysis should avoid the distributional consequences of policies. In democratic countries, however, the political power of individuals inevitably reflects their wealth and income. You cannot have a democracy when income and wealth distributions are greatly uneven. Monitoring the State or the Market explains that absolute income equality is not consistent with a market economy, yet neither is large inequality. This study provides a broad survey of major social and economic developments over the past two centuries, beginning with the Industrial Revolution and laissez faire and ending with neoliberalism and market fundamentalism. It explains how each of these periods initially brought moderation and accompanying benefits, showing that some countries, such as those in Scandinavia, have demonstrated that it is possible to have low Gini coefficients (low inequality), while preserving economic freedom and prosperity.

Reviews & endorsements

'The book encapsulates Tanzi's reflections and musings on both economic history and the history of economic thought from the three periods studied. His aim of evaluating who was more sensible, those pushing for minimal state involvement or those arguing for a larger role for the government, is admirable and timely. Recommended.' K. J. Murphy, CHOICE

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Product details

• Date Published: December 2023
• format: Hardback
• isbn: 9781009434447
• length: 200 pages

• dimensions: 235 x 155 x 18 mm
• weight: 0.465kg
• availability: Available