Carles Boix Knihy

This book describes the foundations of stateless societies, why and how states emerge, and the basis of political obligation.

Utilizing game theory, Carles Boix presents a comprehensive theory of political transitions, emphasizing the influence of economic asset distribution and social power dynamics on political regimes. Through thorough historical research and statistical analysis, the work explores the emergence of democracy in classical Athens and its early successes in agrarian Norway, Switzerland, and northeastern America, while also examining its failures in regions dominated by a powerful landowning class.

"The twentieth century witnessed the triumph of democratic capitalism in the industrialized West, with widespread popular support for both free markets and representative elections. Today, that political consensus appears to be breaking down, disrupted by polarization and income inequality, widespread dissatisfaction with democratic institutions, and insurgent populism. Tracing the history of democratic capitalism over the past two centuries, Carles Boix explains how we got here--and where we could be headed. Boix looks at three defining stages of capitalism, each originating in a distinct time and place with its unique political challenges, structure of production and employment, and relationship with democracy. He begins in nineteenth-century Manchester, where factory owners employed unskilled laborers at low wages, generating rampant inequality and a restrictive electoral franchise. He then moves to Detroit in the early 1900s, where the invention of the modern assembly line shifted labor demand to skilled blue-collar workers. Boix shows how growing wages, declining inequality, and an expanding middle class enabled democratic capitalism to flourish. Today, however, the information revolution that began in Silicon Valley in the 1970s is benefitting the highly educated at the expense of the traditional working class, jobs are going offshore, and inequality has risen sharply, making many wonder whether democracy and capitalism are still compatible"--Provided by publisher

Given the increased openness of countries to international trade and financial flows, the general public and the scholarly literature have grown skeptical about the capacity of policy-makers to affect economic performance. Challenging this view, Political Parties, Growth, and Equality shows that the increasingly interdependent world economy and recent technological shocks have actually exacerbated the dilemmas faced by governments in choosing among various policy objectives, such as generating jobs and reducing income inequality, thereby granting political parties and electoral politics a fundamental and growing role in the economy. To make growth and equality compatible, social democrats employ the public sector to raise the productivity of capital and labor. By contrast, conservatives rely on the private provision of investment. Based on analysis of the economic policies of all OECD countries since the 1960s and in-depth examination of Britain and Spain in the 1980s, this book offers a new understanding of how contemporary democracies work.

Exploring the intersection of partisanship and electoral politics, this book examines how these factors influence policy selection aimed at fostering growth and enhancing competitiveness. It delves into the dynamics of political decision-making and the implications for economic strategies, offering insights into the motivations behind policy choices in various political contexts.

Exploring the evolving dynamics between democracy and capitalism, this book delves into how these two systems have influenced each other throughout history. It examines key events and shifts that have shaped their interdependence, highlighting the tensions and synergies that arise as societies navigate economic and political landscapes. Through rigorous analysis, it offers insights into the implications of their relationship for contemporary governance and economic practices.