Suchergebnisse

Preface; 1. Introduction 2. Capitalism as a World Economy 3. Capital and the State 4. Towards a Political Economy of the Transition Period: Revolution and Civil War 5. Towards a Political Economy of the Transition Period: The New Economic Policy 6. The Degeneration of the Russian Revolution 7. Completing the System; Index

Productivity looms large in public policy discussions yet many find themselves hard-pressed to explain exactly what the term means. Even within economics, its nature and significance is contested and the focus of complex debate. Michael Haynes cuts through the jargon and political sloganeering to provide a detailed examination of the concept, how it is used and why it is held by economists to be so important in evaluating the health of economies.The book explores why productivity grows or fails to grow in certain contexts, in particular how real world variables can interact with measurements of efficiency and output. The difficulties of measuring its scope are examined alongside the larger question of whether growth in productivity is sustainable, both at the level of national economies and globally. Whether productivity remains the motor of economic growth that it once was and continues to be the most appropriate economic indicator for modern economies is shown to be a key consideration.For anyone searching for a clear, engaging and level-headed guide to one of the most important metrics for understanding economic growth, this book will be warmly welcomed.

This article explores the relevance of the idea of state capitalism in Russian development. It situates the idea within the framework of capitalist development which it argues is marked by global inequalities, power imbalances and economic and military competition. The Russian Revolution of October 1917 was an attempt to overthrow this system but its failure led to a highly intense form of state capitalism which lasted until 1991. The underlying continuities in the different regimes in Russia are then analysed in terms of the process of working class exploitation.

Ulrike Marie Meinhof's televised play Bambule was not broadcast for fear that it would elicit sympathy for the terrorist organisation she founded. This is despite there being no justification of violence for political ends. The withholding of funding and sponsorship continued into the late 1980s for works that condemned violence, but which also refused to provide positive support for the anti-terrorist measures of the state. Although understandable when a society is confronted by a crisis such as terrorism, it may hinder both the understanding of the complexities of political violence and debate over the issues it raises.

Bibliography: leaves 187-197. ; Botswana has been considered as one of the few post-independence development successes in Africa. The country's recent status is attributable to the growth of the minerals sector, with diamonds and copper/nickel matte forming the basis of exports and government development revenues. Mining has not only been responsible for boosting export earnings, but has also stimulated most recent urbanisation, resulting in the some of the highest urban growth rates in sub-Saharan Africa. The problem of urban in-migration has been compounded by a bias in development expenditure, with the towns receiving a disproportionately large share of scarce resources. All new towns since independence have been established as service centres for the mines, with limited wider development occurring. Resultant vulnerability and instability in the urban sphere has been reflected in the case of Selebi-Phikwe, where a decline in the copper/nickel industry has threatened the future integrity of the town. That mining has not contributed towards development which is sustainable over the long terms calls into question, the resilience of Botswana's progress. A political-economic analysis of the development history of Botswana indicates a continuity between colonial neglect and the migrant labour system, and the current problems of dependence on the mining sector and external employment opportunities. The reasons for the dearth in diversified productive activity in mining towns in Botswana are related to an externally orientated development policy, with dependence on the world mineral markets. As the mining industry is based on the extraction of finite, non-renewable resources and is susceptible to fluctuations in mineral pricing, towns exclusively based on mining are latently unstable and have similarly finite lives. The problem is compounded by the lack of a local entrepreneurial class capable of stimulating the 'modern' sector which is related to the historical lack of an urban elite in the country. Given that there has been minimal associated development of productive opportunities outside of the primary sector in Selebi-Phikwe, the Government has instituted a crisis management strategy to deal with the situation. Proposals to diversify the economic base of Selebi-Phikwe are focused on attracting foreign investment, as a means of stimulating local, export-orientated industrialisation. As the incentives for locating in the town are primarily based on cheap, malleable, labour supplies, transnational investment is likely to be of a highly mobile nature and is unlikely to sustain employment and development in Selebi-Phikwe Certain conclusions are drawn from the experience of Selebi-Phikwe: Firstly, the problem of continuity in Selebi-Phikwe has historical roots indicating that short term panaceas are unlikely and that structural solutions are needed. Secondly, the town's fate holds important implications for the maintenance and support of the wider urban system in Botswana. Thirdly, expectations of indefinite economic prosperity have been generated in part, by continual Government emphasis on urban infrastructural development, something which is potentially problematic given the potential for urban discontinuity. A more rational evaluation of the urban sector in Botswana is required. With the precarious foundations of urbanisation in Botswana borne in mind, surplus revenues generated by mining should be channelled into rural employment creation rather than urban areas. An approach which treats the urban question in its entirety is required. There is thus a real need for a national development programme which integrates population and environmental policy with rural and urban sector planning, and which bases future development on the criteria of equity and sustainability.