The contribution of agriculture to economic growth

Sample

Philip T. Hoffman

Making a strong case for the use of economic analysis in studying history and culture, Philip Hoffman shatters the widespread myth that traditional agricultural societies in early modern Europe were socially and economically stagnant - and ultimately depended on wide-scale political revolution for their growth. Through a richly detailed historical investigation of the peasant agriculture of ancien-regime France, the author uncovers evidence that requires a new understanding of what constituted economic growth in such societies. His arguments rest on a measurement of long-term growth that enables him to analyze the economic, institutional, and political factors that explain its forms and rhythms. . In comparing France with England and Germany, Hoffman arrives at fresh answers to some classic questions: Did French agriculture lag behind farming in other countries? If so, did the obstacles in French agriculture lurk within peasant society itself, in the peasants' culture, in their communal property rights, or in the small scale of their farms? Or did the obstacles hide elsewhere, in politics, in the tax system, or in meager opportunities for trade? The author discovers that growth cannot be explained by culture, property rights, or farm size, and argues that the real causes of growth derived from politics and gains from trade. By challenging other widely held beliefs, such as the nature of the commons and the workings of the rural economy, Hoffman offers a new analysis of peasant society and culture, one based on microeconomics and game theory and intended for a wide range of social scientists.

Sample

Robert G. Picard

"This book breaks new ground by introducing the concepts of product portfolio management and applying them to media companies in a comprehensive manner. It draws from knowledge and methods of analyzing product portfolio management in other industries, applies that knowledge to media industries, and analyzes current practices in media firms."--Jacket.

Sample

Paul K. Conkin

This book assesses the skills, new technologies, and government policies that transformed farming in America and suggests how new legislation could affect it in the coming decades.

Sample

Harry T. Oshima

The countries of monsoon Asia - whose economies have traditionally depended on rice cultivation - face unique problems in economic development because of their weather. During a typical year, they experience six months of heavy rains followed by six months of relatively dry conditions. This alternation of wet and dry weather places unusual demands on the work force, which can be close to fully employed while the land is wet for rice cultivation but must seek other employment during the rest of the year. Although nations such as Japan have long been free from this cycle of low employment and low productivity, others still struggle with seemingly intractable problems. Offering a range of policy prescriptions, Harry Oshima focuses on how strategic processes - including full-employment strategies, education reform, technological development, capital formation, consumer spending and saving, and multicrop diversification - contribute to strengthening the developing economies of Asian nations affected by the monsoon season. Continuing the analysis he began in Economic Growth in Monsoon Asia, Oshima examines current data from highly successful monsoon-Asian nations like Japan, Taiwan, and Korea and compares their experiences to those of countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and India. His insights and conclusions will guide further development in this important region - and may offer lessons for developing nations in other parts of the world.