Market constellations and macroeconomic policy-making: institutional impacts on economic performance

Post Keynesian theory as opposed to Walrasian theory does not provide the foundations for a unique general equilibrium but claims the existence of multiple equilibrium positions. In this article, such a multiple of equilibrium positions is explained by different market constellations which are characterised by different sets of institutions. political and cultural factors and historical circumstance in general and can be formed by collective bargaining systems and Central Banking designs as well as implicit or explicit mechanisms of coordination between key macroeconomic policy areas in particular. A market participation theory of economic policy based on market constellations may help to bridge the gap between nomocratic policy denial and teleocratic policy euphoria. --Market constellations,Central Bank Independence,Collective Bargaining system

The economic policies of German 'third wayism' in the light of agenda theory

German Social Democracy is faced with tremendous challenges of societal and economic changes: party dealignment, a bourgeoisifying of society, the rise of media democracy and economic and cultural globalisation. The party's reaction - a third order change in its ideological objectives and a respective adjustment in its short term policy programme as the leading governing party in the red-green coalition (AGENDA 2010) - is being investigated under the conditions of bounded rationality of voters and against the backround of an unprecedented loss in acceptance by the electorate as well as the ordinary party member. --Economic Policy,Agenda theory,Social Democracy

EMU, coordinated macroeconomic policies and a boost to employment in the European Union

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How to create a growth-oriented market constellation for South Africa

Post-apartheid South Africa is facing three major economic problems: (1) slack economic growth, (2) high and growing unemployment and (3) among the world's highest income inequality and poverty indices. South Africa is currently caught in a macro-economic straight-jacket of tight monetary, restrictive fiscal and a wage policy stance that raises NAIRU. The persistence of a sub-optimal 'market constellation' is created by an institutional setting of a non-accommodative Reserve Bank, a sectoral-regional and company level noncoordinated collective bargaining system, an austere 'sound finance regime' of public budgeting and the lack of any institution to co-ordinate macro-economic policy. To tailor a better fitting constellation, a social contract involving major reforms in macro-economic governance in South Africa is proposed. --Monetary Policy,fiscal policy,wage policy,macro-economic co-ordination

The political economy of meritocracy: a post-Kaleckian, post-Olsonian approach to unemployment and income inequality in modern varieties of capitalism

The 'big trade-off', described by Arthur Okun some thirty years ago, is back again. Equality or efficiency, or to put it differently again: modern highly developed economies and societies have to choose between the Scylla of income inequality or the Charybdis of unemployment. Furthermore, it looks like the continental European economies - foremost Germany and France - sided with more egalitarian ends accepting higher unemployment whilst the liberal economies such as the United States and the United Kingdom choose higher inequality for lower unemployment. In this paper it is argued, that the trade-off is not a supply-side necessity to maintain work effort in a situation of incomplete contracts, but is a politico-economic issue of particular interest groups to seek rents. However, unlike in Mancur Olson's seminal approach, it is not the trade unions which are forming distributional coalitions on the labour market but rather the meritoracy which is happy to use Keynesian-type demand management in order to advance their material interests by pursuing a 'Meritocratically Optimal Rate of Unemployment' (MORU). --Unemployment,Income inequality,Political Economy

A Post Keynesian theory of economic policy - filling a void

The traditional theory of economic policy of the Tinbergen-Theil-type has come under severe criticism: in the ontological setting of the New Classical Macroeconomics based on the Rational Expectations Hypothesis (REH), economic policy is ineffective or neutral with respect to real variables. In the ontological setting of Hayekian economics based on informational deficiencies, economic policy is without orientation and, therefore, more harm- than helpful. Therefore, both criticisms are united in their rejection of state interventions. In this paper, a Post Keynesian alternative will be presented which is situated between nomocratic abstinence and teleological controllability. --economic policy,Post Keynesianism,policy coordination

Central Banks, Trade Unions and Reputation – Is there Room for an Expansionist Manoeuvre in the European Union?

It is now a few years since the introduction of the common currency, and Europe is still experiencing high unemployment. The conventional logic attributes this problem to strong trade unions and other flaws in the labour market. This article takes a different approach. Using a game theoretic model we look at the changes that occur if trade unions and the central bank have different options to choose from in a climate of uncertainty. In a singlestage game the most probable outcome is a high unemployment rate as high as the NAIRU. However, there is also a slight chance that a central bank might take the risk associated with employment expansion (if trade unions cooperate the risk pays off). Moreover, results change dramatically if the game is repeated. This allows for effects on the trade union’s reputation. It can be shown that this, in turn, improves the likelihood of employment expansion.Central Bank, Reputation, Trade Unions

Growth engines of the South? South Africa's, Brazil's and Turkey's market constellations in comparison

The world is experiencing its worst recession in 80 years. What started as US sub-prime financial turmoil has developed into the first global recession since the infamous 'Great Depression' of the early 1930s. However gloomy the perspectives for the very short term are, there will be a recovery eventually. South Africa, Brazil and Turkey (SABT) are among those countries that may be expected as emerging market economies (EME) not only to continue to converge towards per-capita income levels of highly developed nations but also to be the best candidates - next to China and India - of serving as the locomotives of world GDP- and trade growth after the depression. Of course, whether SABT are not merely potentially in a position to create a brighter future for their people and the world economy but can transform such potentials into reality, depends on economic governance pursued by governments and collective actors in these countries. Therefore, it appears interesting to inquire into the macroeconomic governance structures of SABT in order to assess their capabilities for enhancing growth and employment and to converge to the OECD average in the medium to long run. --market constellations,policy regimes,institutions,Post Keynesianism,comparative economic systems

The 'European social model' under pressure

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Central banks, trade unions and reputation - is there room for an expansionist manoeuvre in the European Union?

It is now a few years since the introduction of the common currency, and Europe is still experiencing high unemployment. The conventional logic attributes this problem to strong trade unions and other flaws in the labour market. This article takes a different approach. Using a game theoretic model we look at the changes that occur if trade unions and the central bank have different options to choose from in a climate of uncertainty. In a singlestage game the most probable outcome is a high unemployment rate as high as the NAIRU. However, there is also a slight chance that a central bank might take the risk associated with employment expansion (if trade unions cooperate the risk pays off). Moreover, results change dramatically if the game is repeated. This allows for effects on the trade union's reputation. It can be shown that this, in turn, improves the likelihood of employment expansion. --Monetary Policy,labour unions,reputation building,employment,EMU