Ideological alternance in economics: the case of the theory of economic policy

Authors

  • Rafael Galvão de Almeida Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20873/uftv8-11478

Abstract

In the period following the Great Depression in the 1930s, economists developed planning techniques and a theory of economic policy in order to find the best level of state intervention in the economy. This happened in response to the crisis of economics. In the 1970s, there was a new crisis, which made economists invert their position. From this time on, economists went on the support free markets. Thus, the objective of this article is to understand how this process occurs, using the rise and fall of the theory of economic policy as an example of how the economists’ preferences change. Analyzing a few of the main texts on the theory of economic policy, including secondary literature, we find that, from the 1930s to the 1970s, economics favored interventionism because the general equilibrium paradigm gave space to the idea that the social optimum could be achieved through economic government action. After this period, critiques of political economy and rational expectations raised doubts on the capacity of state intervention. Lastly, the article concludes that it is uncertain if new great changes will happen, such as the ones discussed in the article, and that economic theories adapt: the theory of economic policy adapted to the critiques of political economy and rational expectations.

Published

2021-10-26

How to Cite

Rafael Galvão de Almeida. (2021). Ideological alternance in economics: the case of the theory of economic policy. DESAFIOS - Revista Interdisciplinar Da Universidade Federal Do Tocantins, 8(3), 98–113. https://doi.org/10.20873/uftv8-11478

Issue

Section

Artigos