The Power of a Single Number: A Political History of GDP
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.57 (603 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0231175108 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 208 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-12-21 |
| Language | : | German |
DESCRIPTION:
These ideas were then extended by John Maynard Keynes, and a more focused study of national income was born. GDP finally achieved its singular status during World War II, assuming the importance it retains today. Practically all governments adhere to the idea that GDP growth is a primary economic target, and while criticism of this measure has grown, neither its champions nor its detractors deny its central importance in our political culture.In The Power of a Single Number, Philipp Lepenies recounts the lively history of GDP's political acceptanceand eventual dominance. Locating the origins of GDP measurements in Renaissance England, Lepenies explores the social and political factors that originally hindered its use. Widely used since the mid-twentieth century, GDP (gross domestic product) has become the world's most powerful statistical indicator of national development and progress. American economists furthered this work by emphasizing GDP's ties to social well-b
Economists play important roles in his account, but ultimately it was politics and the priorities of wartime that drove the demand for GDP measurement. The Power of a Single Number also provides insights on how to build a 'post GDP' era, especially in the context of a possible future 'secular stagnation.' (Enrico Giovannini, University of Rome)By asking how GDP became the most influential economic statistic of our time, Lepenies provides a fascinating new perspective on the history of empirical economics. Cooper Foreign Affairs)Recommended. Wade, London School of Economics. (CHOICE) . (Publishers Weekly)Lepenies's absorbing account helps us understand the personalities and popular events that propelled GDP to dominance, clarifying current debates over the wisdom of the number's rule. (<
Philipp Lepenies is guest professor for social science at the Free University of Berlin. He is also the author of Art, Politics, and Development: How Linear Perspective Shaped Policies in the Western World (2013). . His research focuses on the success of economic ideas and concepts in politics
A Great Guide to GDP The author's tone and enjoyable writing style make this an accessible read for those in the know and those who want to know more about GDP. He succeeds in guiding the reader through historical twists and political positioning that have made GDP what it is today and uncovers how GDP came to be the benchmark for growth and why it persists regardless of legitimate criticism.. James R. Maclean said Seeing the Forest through the tree rings. There are a surprisingly large number of books devoted to GDP and its criticism. This book is somewhat novel in the sense that it is not about economics at all; it's about the diffusion of an idea in society.The first chapter introduces a 17th century political analyst named William Petty, who attempted to estimate the components of national income. The goal is to restructure taxation, which was then mostly on fixed assets; Petty believed that the flow of current output was much greater and a better base of taxation. Later, in the "Seeing the Forest through the tree rings" according to James R. Maclean. There are a surprisingly large number of books devoted to GDP and its criticism. This book is somewhat novel in the sense that it is not about economics at all; it's about the diffusion of an idea in society.The first chapter introduces a 17th century political analyst named William Petty, who attempted to estimate the components of national income. The goal is to restructure taxation, which was then mostly on fixed assets; Petty believed that the flow of current output was much greater and a better base of taxation. Later, in the 20th cent. 0th cent