COVID-19 and the Next Evolution of Economics - Evonomics
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“ The Coronavirus is a sneeze that triggers an avalanche of long-existing structural problems—most centrally our rampant economic inequality. We must take this crisis as a wake-up call to finally take structural action to end our long-time crisis of inequality.”
COVID-19 and the Next Evolution of Economics - Evonomics
https://evonomics.com/covid-19-and-the-next-evolution-of-economics/
(via Instapaper)
31 March 2020
We’ve never needed new economic thinking like we do right now. The economic effects of the COVID crisis are again laying bare the failings of traditional economic thinking. But it is also forcing our institutions toward beneficial policies that would usually be anathema to orthodox understandings.
Evonomics haspublished hundreds of articles over the last four years that rationalize and explain what we need to do today, and why. Here’s a guide to those articles. We hope you, our readers, will find them as fascinating and useful as we do.
New economic thinking can change the world, for the better. Please join us in sharing these ideas, and turning them into actions.
Robert Kadar, Editor
Steve Roth, Publisher
Covid-19 Is a Tragedy of the Commons—but We Can Collectively Mitigate the Tragedy
Coronavirus is a classic Tragedy of the Commons problem: everyone acting in their own self-interest leads to worse outcomes for the collective. But Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom has a solution to that tragedy: design principles for the commons. “Social Distancing” and “flattening the curve” are examples of community design principles for managing our common health and healthcare resources.
It’s Time to Replace the Economics of “Me” with the Economics of “We” by Jonathan Rowe and David Bollier
Optimizing for Human Well-Being by Douglas Rushkoff
The Tragedy of the Commons: How Elinor Ostrom Solved One of Life’s Greatest Dilemmas by David Sloan Wilson
Why Common Ownership Is a Route to Social Transformation by George Monbiot
The Woman Who Saved Economics from Disaster by David Sloan Wilson
Cooperation Beats Competition; Pro-Sociality Beats Self-Interest
Neoclassical economics claims that “greed is good”—by following one’s own self-interest, “all boats rise.” Unfortunately, we have evidence—from biology to anthropology to sociology to economics—that it simply isn’t true. Only through pro-social, cooperative behavior can we all thrive. It’s time to put these principles into practice as we collectively tackle Coronavirus.
Where Do Pro-Social Institutions Come From? By Pseudoerasmus
How Norway Proves Laissez-faire Economics Is Not Just Wrong, It’s Toxic. By David S. Wilson and Dag O. Hessen
Are We Cooperative or Competitive? Our View Shapes the Economy by Sandra Aamodt
Economics Doesn’t Have to Be Immoral
Neoclassical economics distorts Darwin’s theory of evolution to argue that making more money must be morally good because the “invisible hand” rewards “fitness.” But if we consult the research—from biology to anthropology—this “just so story” doesn’t begin to represent the complexity of human evolution. We evolved economic morality. It’s time to put it into practice.
Paleo-Economics Shaped Us Morally by Jag Bhalla
Inequality Made Our Economy Fragile. Coronavirus Could Break the Camel’s Back.
The Coronavirus is a sneeze that triggers an avalanche of long-existing structural problems—most centrally our rampant economic inequality. We must take this crisis as a wake-up call to finally take structural action to end our long-time crisis of inequality.
The Social Safety Net Won’t Catch Us Unless Will Rebuild It
“Trickle-down” economics, austerity, and the evisceration of the social safety net make us—both collectively and individually—much more vulnerable to emergencies. This is especially true for members of the working and service class who are disproportionately either out of work or on the front lines as healthcare workers, grocery store workers, etc. Without robust investment in the social safety net, this crisis will get worse, and we will repeat it again in the future.
The American Healthcare System Shows Why We Can’t Trust Free Market Ideologues by Jag Bhalla interview with Economist Robert H. Frank
Why Income Inequality Increases Maternal Infanticide by Eric Michael Johnson
America is Regressing into a Developing Nation for Most People by Lynn Parramore
Now Is the Time for Universal Income
Economists and thinkers have been discussing Universal Income (sometimes called Universal Basic income or UBI) for decades. It could prove a solution to outsourcing, automation, and the resulting lack of jobs. But it’s even more essential now with 3.3 million Americans applying for unemployment in a single week. Universal Income’s time came long ago; now we increasingly have no choice.
How Basic Income Solves Capitalism’s Fundamental Problem by Tom Streithorst
How to Pay for Universal Basic Income by James K. Boyce and Peter Barnes
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