The Two Narratives of Political Economy (ePub)

Captures the 17th-19th century origins and developments
ofpolitical economy by editing original texts and illuminatingtheir
relevance for today's political debate

Political economy from the 17th century to the present can be
captured in two narratives originating with Locke and Rousseau.
Those original narratives were expanded in significant ways in the
18th and 19th centuries, and the editors argue that they still hold
sway today.

Edited original writings included in the anthology are from:
Locke, Rousseau, Adam Smith, Tocqueville, Mill, Marx, Proudhon,
Owen, the Federalist Papers, the French Declaration of the Rights
of Man and the Citizen, and the American Constitution. The editors
have restricted their comments to the extensive introductions
thereby allowing the original participants to speak for themselves.
The readings included are intended to be instructive with respect
to the origin and development of the two narratives rather than an
exhaustive account of how thinkers and writers on economics advance
the discipline of economics as a social science.

Reviews

"The editors provide a compelling collection to critically frame
the clash of Political Economy which shapes modern democracies.
Their selections and introductions expertly paint a picture of the
contending schools to suggest how enduring these core challenges
remain. By placing these writers within this great debate, the
authors guide students to discover the essential questions of
liberty, equality, and the proper role of the state at the core of
the American economic debate."

--Roberta Q. Herzberg, Utah State University Political
Science

"The real service performed by Capaldi and Lloyd is to provide
generous excerpts from supporters of both narratives so that the
reader can determine for themselves who best makes their case. I
recommend this volume highly both to the individual interested in
learning about the intellectual and political history of political
economy and to the professor in search of a one-volume anthology on
political economy for use in a course on economic thought."

--Steven D. Ealy, Senior Fellow, Liberty Fund, Inc.