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This paper presents an overview of different models which explain financial crises, with the aim of understanding economic developments during and possibly after the Great Recession. In the first part approaches based on efficient markets and rational expectations hypotheses are analyzed, which however do not give any explanation for the occurrence of financial crises and thus cannot suggest any remedies for the present situation. A broad range of theoretical approaches analyzing financial crises from a medium term perspective is then discussed. Within this group we focused on the insights of Marx, Schumpeter, Wicksell, Hayek, Fisher, Keynes, Minsky, and Kindleberger. Subsequently the contributions of the Regulation School, the approach of Social Structures of Accumulation and Post-Keynesian approach, which focus on long-term developments and regime shifts in capitalist development, are presented. International approaches to finance and financial crises are integrated into the analyses. We address the issue of relevance of all these theories for the present crisis and draw some policy implications. The paper has the aim to find out to which extent the different approaches are able to explain the Great Recession, what visions they develop about future development of capitalism and to which extent these different approaches can be synthesized.
2015
Level: advanced
Theories of finance and financial crisis: Lessons for the Great Recession
This lecture by Economy Studies lays out the foundations and current state of the ecological crisis, its main drivers and who is responsible for this. It is crucial for students to develop a deeper understanding of the problem they are likely to encounter in their future careers, before getting into various economic policies or solutions to this pressing issue.
2022
Level: beginner
Economic Introduction to the Ecological Crisis - Economy Studies
The 2007-2010 economic crisis has profoundly shaken the foundations of mainstream financial economics. The apparent falsification of core concepts such as risk diversification, informational efficiency and valuation efficiency by an unexpected course of events has revealed the need to redefine the objectives and direction of research today.
2010
Level: advanced
After the Crisis
In the interview, Robert Skidelsky discusses the emergence of political influence of a certain school of economic thought and how the success of an economic theory depends on the power relations in the society. He introduces the historical example of Keynesian economics and its replacement by liberal economic theory and policy in the aftermath of the Great Depression, and transfers this historical case to the dominant paradigm of austerity policies in the Europe as response to rising public debts caused by the Financial Crisis. He contrasts austerity policies with a Keynesian approach. Furthermore, he relates the targets of policy to the underlying power structures, for example when not the reduction of unemployment but the protection of financial capital is politically addressed.
2015
Level: advanced
Economics and Political Power during the Crisis
The historical situation of low interest rates after the Fed's response to the 2001 crisis alongside with huge foreign money inflow to the US are presented as the historical context in which subprime lending and financial instruments like CDOs and CDS evolved. Then those instruments as well as the concept of leverage are explained briefly.
2009
Level: beginner
The Crisis of Credit Visualized
In this keynote lecture during the conference „The Spectre of Stagnation? Europe in the World Economy“, Till van Treek presents research on how changes in income distribution lead to macroeconomic instability and crisis, focusing on currents accounts. Treek presents the relative income hypothesis in contrast to other mainstream and Post-Keynesian explanations. The relative income hypothesis proposes that aggregate demand increases and savings decrease with rising personal income inequality due to upward looking status comparison – but effects depend on the quantile where income inequality increases. Treek points to the importance of accounting for both income and functional income distribution and underlines his arguments with data comparing different pattern in Germany and the U.S.
2015
Level: expert
Macroeconomics of inequality & instability - Inequality, imbalances and the crisis
Mark Blyth criticises the political inability to solve the persistent economic crisis in Europe against the background of a deflationary environment. Ideological blockades and impotent institutions are the mutually reinforcing causes of European stagnation. The deeper roots lie in the structural change of the economic system since the 1980s, when neoliberalism emerged as hegemonic ideology. This ideology prepared the ground for austerity and resulting deflationary pressures and a strategy of all seeking to export their way out of trouble. Worryingly this is breeding populist and nationalist resentments in Europe.
2015
Level: beginner
Policies to avert stagnation: The Crisis and the Future(s) of the Euro
Peter Bofinger argues that the Modern Monetary Theory gives theoretical justification for bold answers to the corona crisis.
2020
Level: beginner
Coronavirus crisis: now is the hour of Modern Monetary Theory
For some days, global financial markets are in turmoil. Central banks and governments are dealing with the unfolding crisis on a daily basis with seemingly u...
2020
Level: beginner
Replay of the financial crisis of 2008? What is different today, and what to expect?
The plumbing of the financial system is coming under strain like never before. On this week’s podcast, we speak with two legendary experts on how the money system works: Zoltan Pozsar of Credit Suisse and Perry Mehrling of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. They explain the extreme level of stress we’re seeing, what the Fed has done to alleviate, what more needs to be done, and what the post-crisis future may look like.
2020
Level: advanced
The Historic Crisis Of Financial Market Plumbing
As part of a larger series on Just Transitions, the author describes how the current corona crisis comes with new economic policy responses which would have been considered unthinkable only a year ago. Arguing that with the current high levels of confidence in politicians and scientific advice, combined with the realisation that the market has not been able to solve this problem on its own, we are now in a unique position to implement a radically different solution than was politically possible previously.
2020
Level: beginner
A Social-Green Deal, with just transition—the European answer to the coronavirus crisis
Value and Crisis brings together selected essays written by Alfredo Saad-Filho, one of the most prominent Marxist political economists writing today. Divided into two parts, "Essays on the Theory of Value" and "Essays on Contemporary Capitalism," this book examines the labour theory of value from a rich and innovative perspective from which fresh insights are derived.
2020
Level: advanced
Value and Crisis
The novel coronavirus (Covid-19) is rapidly spreading around the world. The real economy is simultaneously hit by a supply shock and a demand shock by the spread of coronavirus. Such a twin shock is a rare phenomenon in recent economic history.
2020
Level: beginner
How to Manage the Economic Fallout of the Coronavirus
The U.S. economy today is confronted with the prospect of extended stagnation. This book explores why. Thomas I. Palley argues that the Great Recession and destruction of shared prosperity is due to flawed economic policy over the past thirty years.
2012
Level: advanced
From Financial Crisis to Stagnation
Latin America and Europe can both learn from their respective experiences on crisis response and the distributive and democratic implications at national and regional level Democratic and distributive aspects of crisis response monetary financial economic policies and institutional reforms are key but have not been adequately addressed in the literature …
2020
Level: advanced
Financial Crisis Management and Democracy
In the fifth part of the Economics of COVID-19 Webinar by SOAS, Jo Michell sketches out the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wider macroeconomy and warns against a resurgence of austerity politics.
2020
Level: advanced
Will Coronavirus Mean the End of Austerity? The Macroeconomics of the COVID-19 Crisis
What constitutes the dominance of the US dollar, what it provides for the US and the rest of the world, why it is constantly questioned, and what the future might hold for the dollar
2025
Level: beginner
How the International Reserve Currency System Works – and Whether the End of Dollar Hegemony is Imminent
An analysis of the modern neoliberal world, its characteristics, flaws and planetary boundaries aiming to end new economic politics and support a global redistribution of power, wealth and roles. In this online lecture, economist and Professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, UK. Costas Lapavitsas, explains the limitations of the neoliberal market in creating financial stability and growth in both, developing and developed countries.
2020
Level: advanced
The Limits to Neoliberalism: how states respond to the crisis
"Stabilise, liberalise and privatise" has, since the debt crisis of the early 1980s, been the mantra chanted at developing countries by international financial institutions, donor countries and newspaper columnists with quasi-religious conviction.
2007
Level: advanced
The Resistible Rise of Market Fundamentalism
Politicians tell us the UK is “borrowing too much” and faces a “debt crisis.” That’s wrong. The government creates the pounds it spends, and what’s called “borrowing” is really just it accepting deposits — or savings — from the public and financial markets.
2025
Level: beginner
Why the UK government can't borrow - and we should not pretend it does
The world is still feeling reverberations from the financial crisis of 2008 foreseen by neither politicians nor economists The history of capitalism has been punctuated by major crises exposing the fragility of our entire economic system How has capitalism despite these ruptures managed to each time resurface more resilient and …
Level: beginner
The Global Financial Crisis
As the Covid-19 fueled economic downturn begins to intensify this winter, an extended study of the Italian cooperative sector’s historical resilience in times of crisis can serve as a learning experience for other countries seeking to create policies that foster more stable economies, with job security, care for marginalized communities and adequate counter-cyclical policies. Particularly, the Italian cooperative sector’s contributions to three aspects should be noted in closing. Firstly, the innovative phenomenon of cooperative enterprises has contributed to social inclusion of immigrant communities, the activation of youth, the unemployed and people with disabilities, a true compensation for both a market and state failure. Secondly, they have contributed to a reduction in income and wealth inequalities at a time when the issue of inequality is of global significance. Thirdly, the Italian cooperative movement has helped local communities revitalize in the face of demographic shifts and rendered them more resilient to the ravages of globalization. Each of these in their own right is a remarkable achievement.
2020
Level: beginner
How to strengthen the social economy
Exploring Economics Dossier on the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and the structural crisis of globalization. COVID-19 encounters a structural crisis of globalization and the economic system that drives it, with an uncertain outcome. We asked economists worldwide to share with us their analysis of current events, long-term perspectives and political responses. The dossier will be continuously expanded.
2020
Level: beginner
The Next Great Recession? Exploring Economics Dossier
One of the pluralist theories which has gained prominence following the 2008 financial crisis is Hyman Minsky and his Financial Instability Hypothesis (FIH). Minsky was unique in viewing balance sheets and financial flows as the primary components of capitalist economies, and his focus on the financial system meant he was well-equipped for foresee a crisis much like 2008. Although he died long before 2008 his framework anticipated many of the processes which led to the crash, particularly increased risk-taking and financial innovation which would outstrip the abilities of regulators and central banks to manage the system.
2020
Level: beginner
Minsky’s Moments
This book is a collection of Steve Keen's influential papers published over the last fifteen years. The topics covered include methodology, microeconomics, and the monetary approach to macroeconomics that Keen - along with many other non-mainstream economists - has been developing.
2016
Level: advanced
Developing an Economics for the Post-crisis World
The recent financial meltdown and the resulting global recession have rekindled debates regarding the nature of contemporary capitalism.
2013
Level: advanced
A Political Economy of Contemporary Capitalism and its Crisis
Banner and Pastor debunk granted assumptions of the neoclassical theory, such as self-interested human behavior, the necessity of inequality and growth, to pull the threads between the new possible foundations of our society, "prosperity, security and community".
2020
Level: beginner
Solidarity Economics—for the Coronavirus Crisis and Beyond
This lecture was held in the context of the a two day conference called Which pluralism for thinking about how to achieve a more sustainable and resilient economy The practices institutions and system logics of today s economy are not suitable for appropriately addressing fundamental human needs The climate crisis …
2021
Level: beginner
Embracing speculation and liquid identity: The case of the entrepreneur in a post crisis world
Post-Colonialisms Today researchers Kareem Megahed and Omar Ghannam discuss the importance of industrial policy during the pandemic to improve domestic capacity for manufacturing essential goods.
2020
Level: beginner
Egypt's Past Industrialization Project: Lessons for the COVID-19 Crisis
A concise introduction to Marx's Labour Theory of Value, the three ratios and the falling rate of profit hypothesis.
2009
Level: beginner
Marx's Theory of Economic Crisis
Anwar Shaikh explores alternative economic explanations, emphasizing 'real competition' theory and the role of imperfections in economic patterns.
2017
Level: advanced
Capitalism: Competition, Conflict, Crisis
This video explains what the term 'Feminist Economics' describes and goes into detail on how feminist economists use methodology differently, why they advocate for diversity in research and how to look into preconditions for the functioning of our economies. It, additionally, highlights the link between feminist economics and the study of climate change.
2020
Level: beginner
What is Feminist Economics & what does it have to do with studying the climate crisis?

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