Capitalism at a Crossroads: A New Reset?

Contents
Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables
Introduction
References
Part I: Current Problems of the World Economy
End of Endless Growth Regime: Accumulation and Technology
1 Introduction
2 The Origins of Endless Growth: Accumulation, Technical Change, and Capitalism
3 Modern Growth Theories and Endless Growth
4 The Limits of Endless Growth
5 Mainstream Stance against Critical Challenges
6 Conclusion: The End of the Growth Paradigm and Capitalism?
References
Energy, Economic Growth, and Ecological Collapse
1 Introduction
2 Energy
2.1 Energy Perspectives
2.2 The Relationship between Energy and Sustainable Development
2.3 Impacts of COVID-19 on Energy Consumption
3 Energy and Economic Growth
4 Environmental Limits to Economic Growth
5 Conclusion
References
Agriculture and Food Problems and Solutions: Challenges and Capacity of the Capitalist System in the Twenty-First Century
1 Introduction
2 Features of Agro-Food Systems
2.1 Natural Resources
2.2 Food Production
2.3 Conversion of Natural Resources into Food Requirements
3 Today´s Capitalist Agro-Food System
4 Mitigation: UN-FAO Approaches to Food Systems
5 Approaches to Reform of the Agro-Food System
5.1 Food Security
5.2 Food Sovereignty
6 Postcapitalist Futures: Agroecology
7 Discussion: Contesting Approaches
8 Conclusion
References
Financialization and Finance-Driven Capitalism
1 Introduction
2 The Near Exponential Growth of Finance
3 Origins, Drivers, and Consequences of Financialization: A Critical Analysis
3.1 Perspectives on Financialization from a Historical Context
3.1.1 Financialization as a Capitalist Regime of Accumulation
3.1.2 Financialization of the Corporations and Households
3.2 Periodizing Financialization: A Shift toward a New Era or a Tenacious Regularity?
4 Conclusion
References
Income Inequality, Household Debt, and Financial Crises
1 Introduction
2 Inequality and Financial Crises
3 Model and Estimation Results
4 Conclusion
References
Health Crisis, Income Poverty and Public Policies in the World
1 Introduction
2 The Global Increase in Poverty on a Monetary Level
3 Differentiated Impacts According to Continents, Countries, and Populations
4 The Short-Term Economic Outlook
5 Rethinking Public Policies
6 Conclusion
References
Trade Wars and the Changing Balance of Power
1 Introduction
2 The Emergence of US-China Trade Wars
3 The Challenges for Middle Powers
4 Conclusion
References
On Economic Security and the Political Economy of Neocolonialist Capitalism: The Case of France and Niger´s Uranium Resources
1 Introduction
2 Capitalism, Colonialism, and Economic Security
3 Discussion on the Concept of Economic Security
4 Political Independence and Colonialism
4.1 The Advent of the Capitalist Economy
4.2 Neocolonialism, Capitalism, and Economic Security
4.3 The Neocolonialism and the Future of Capitalism
5 Neocolonialism as a Threat to Economic Security and a Tool of Wealth Transfer: The Case of Niger and France
5.1 Background: Niger´s History and Economy
5.1.1 The Historical Context
5.1.2 Niger´s Economy
5.1.2.1 Niger´s Uranium Reserves
5.1.2.2 Niger´s International Trade
6 French Nuclear Energy Policy
6.1 French Energy Giant Areva and Its Neocolonialist Operations in Niger
6.2 The Value of Areva and Niger´s Uranium to France
7 Conclusion
References
Political Crises of Capitalism
1 Introduction
2 The Evolving Capitalist System
3 The Political Crises
3.1 Rise of Populism and Weakening Democracy
3.2 Rise of Neomercantilism and State Capitalism
3.3 The Legitimacy Crises in Global Governance
4 Covid-19 and Political Crisis
5 Conclusion
References
Part II: Quest for Rebuilding the Capitalism
Artificial Intelligence, Technological Change, and the Future of Capitalism
1 Introduction
2 Technological Progress and the Transformation of Capitalism
2.1 Technological Development Phenomenon in Economic History
2.2 A New Transformation: Industry 4.0
2.3 Is Technological Progress a Recovery Strategy for Capitalism?
3 Debates on Artificial Intelligence and Capitalism Interaction
3.1 AI, Labor Market, and Household Income
3.2 AI, Capital Accumulation, and Capital-Owning Class
3.3 AI and Financial Markets
3.4 Government Regulations Against Potential Market Imbalances
4 Conclusion
References
Endless Growth Regime: The Role of Elasticity of Substitution and Extraordinary Economy Policies
1 Introduction
2 Initial and Terminal Conditions of the CES Production Function
3 Aligning the Variants of the CES Parameters
4 Normalization of the CES Production Function: Why Do We Need?
5 Endless Growth Regime: Is There Any ``Magic´´ Policy Tool?
5.1 The Effect of Elasticity of Substitution on the Growth Rate of Output
5.2 Comparison of the Economies with Different Elasticity of Substitutions
5.3 Policy Tools to Enhance the Growth Rate of Output Per Capita
6 Extraordinary Financial and Monetary Policy Applications amid Supply and Demand Shocks
7 Conclusion
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
References
COVID-19: An Assessment in the Context of Its Economic Impacts and Market-State Relationship
1 Introduction
2 Economic Impacts of COVID-19
2.1 Impact on Economic Growth
2.2 Impact on Unemployment
2.3 Impact on Inequality and Poverty
2.4 Impact on Global Trade
2.5 Impact on Inflation
3 Social Protection Policies in the Scope of COVID-19
3.1 The Function of Social Protection Policies
3.2 Social Protection Policy Practices with the COVID-19 Pandemic
4 Post-Pandemic State-Market Relations
4.1 Failure of the Market During the Pandemic
4.2 The Post-pandemic Economic Order: The Beginning of a Paradigm Shift?
5 Conclusion
References
Great Reset
1 Introduction
2 World Economy in the Twenty-First Century
2.1 Features and Problems of the World Economy
2.2 Policies of Capitalist Countries and Globalization
2.3 Road to the Global Crisis
2.4 Postcrisis Policies
2.5 Responses of Governments and Central Banks to the Pandemic
3 Impacts of Fourth Industrial Revolution and the COVID-19 Pandemic
3.1 Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic
3.1.1 Impact on Economic Growth
3.1.2 Impact on Financial Markets
3.1.3 Impact on Prices
3.1.4 Impact on Investment
3.1.5 Impact on International Trade
3.1.6 Impact on the Labor Market
3.1.7 Impact on Public Debts
3.1.8 Impact on Income Distribution
3.1.9 Social Impacts
3.1.10 Impact on International System
3.2 Impacts of Fourth Industrial Revolution
3.2.1 Impacts on Productivity, Costs of Production, and Growth
3.2.2 Impacts on Market Structure
3.2.3 Impacts on Employment
3.2.4 Impacts on Governments and Political Systems
4 Conclusion
References
Degrowth Strategy to Sustain the Capitalist System
1 Introduction
2 Economic Growth as a Primary Economic Goal
2.1 A Brief History of Economic Growth and Basic Concepts
2.2 Reducing Problems or Creating New Ones?
2.3 Is Economic Growth Indispensable for the Mainstream Economic Ideology?
3 An Alternative Movement: Degrowth
4 Degrowth (Décroissance, Decrescita, Decreixement, Decrecimiento)
5 Conclusion
References
Can Green Deals Save Capitalism from Ecological Collapse?
1 Introduction
2 The Challenge of Transforming Economic Systems
3 The Idea of a Green New Deal
3.1 The US Green New Deal
3.2 The European Green Deal
3.3 The Key Stake of Decoupling
3.4 A Financial Challenge
3.5 Additional Contributions Are Essential
3.6 An Institutional Challenge for the EU
4 Aligning Individual Incentives with Long-Term Objectives
5 The Need for International Cooperation
6 Conclusion
References
Green Technology and Smart Solutions for Capitalist Cities in the Twenty-First Century
1 Introduction
2 Smart Economy
3 Smart Cities and Smart Solutions
3.1 Smart Mobility and Transportation
3.2 Smart Energy
3.3 Smart Grid and Intelligent Lighting
3.4 Smart Infrastructure
3.5 Green Buildings
3.6 Smart Technology
3.7 Technological Innovation
3.8 Smart Governance
3.9 Smart Environment
3.10 Smart Living, People, and Health
4 Conclusion
References
Solidarity Economy
1 Introduction
2 A Plurality of Concepts: Associationism, Social Economy, Nonprofit Sector, Popular Economy, and Solidarity Economy
3 A Look at the History
4 Solidarity Economy
4.1 Living and Working Communities
4.2 Proximity Services
4.3 Maintaining Employment at All Costs?
4.4 Short Food Circuits
5 Conclusion
References
Authors Index
Countries/Regions Index
Institutions/Organizations Index
Programs Index
Subject Index