Economics and Values

Economics and Values is a book on the social foundations of economic policy making.

Economic policy is generally evaluated through two sets of criteria: the rationality as interpreted by economic theory and the legitimacy as interpreted by politicians.

It appears that economic policy making is increasingly blocked by a lack of legitimacy.

This book is a collection of essays on various aspects of economic policy making as seen from different perspectives. Three essays are on the Swedish experience as seen from the points of view of the economic historian, the cultural historian and the organizational consultant. Three essays are on the general West European experience as seen from the points of view of the political scientist, the economist and the cultural antropologist.

These perspectives give a rich and colourful analysis of the interplay between social and cultural factors on one hand and economic development on the other. The analysis stresses the need to search for bridges between different scientific disciplines in order to better understand the challenges facing the economic policy makers.