In the mid-19th century, the business cycle was increasingly recognized as a recurrent phenomenon. This edition contains key texts from the range of literature in the field. It covers many Anglo-Saxon writers as well as contributions from the French, German, Italian, Russian and Swedish debates.

"Is the business cycle obsolete?" This often cited title of a book edited by Bronfenbren ner with the implicit affirmation of the question reflected the attitude of mainstream macroeconomics in the Sixties regarding the empirical relevance of cyclic motions of an economy. The successful income policies, theoretically grounded in Keynesian macroec onomics, seemed to have eased or even abolished the fluctuations in West,ern economies which motivated studies of many classical and neoclassical economists for more than 100 years. The reasoning behind the conviction that business cycles would increasingly become irrelevant was rather simple: if an economy fluctuates for whatever reason, then it is almost always possible to neutralize these cyclic motions by means of anti-cyclic demand policies. From the 1950's until the mid-Sixties business cycle theory had often been consid ered either as an appendix to growth theory or as an academic exercise in dynamical economics. The common business cycle models were essentially multiplier-accelerator models whose sensitive dependence on parameter values (in order to be called busi ness cycle models) suggested a rather improbable occurrence of continuing oscillations. The obvious success in compensating business cycles in those days prevented intensive concern with the occurrence of cycles. Rather, business cycle theory turned into sta bilization theory which investigated theoretical possibilities of stabilizing a fluctuating economy. Many macroeconomic textbooks appeared in the Sixties which consequently identified business cycle theory with inquiries on the possibilities to stabilize economies 2 Introduction by means of active fiscal or monetary policies.

An academic colleague has called Lucas "the dominant figure in Americanmacroeconomics." And another refers to this group of 14 essays, nearly all of which were firstpublished during the 1970s, as the most influential contribution to macroeconomics in thatdecade.

These volumes contain key texts from the period 1860-1939 on Business Cycle Theory. It covers a long list of Anglo-Saxon writers, as well as the most important contributions from the French, German, Italian, Russian and Swedish debates. The older business cycle theories presented here richly elucidate the complex interaction between real, monetary and structural change factors in economic systems — the close association between historical and analytical methods providing a fertile source of inspiration for current researchers in the field. In Volume I of this edition, a number of chapters from early classics are presented. After 1860, the idea of a regular business cycle, formulated by Clément Juglar, was increasingly recognised as a recurrent phenomenon. This edition begins with Juglar’s analysis of crises from a monetary standpoint and John Stuart Mill’s analysis of the role of an excessive credit expansion as a characteristic and fuel for speculation. Also included are two key chapters of Marx’s work: his growth model as it is specified in the extended schemes of reproduction and his comments on crisis theory. The final sections present key chapters by Jevons on his theory of sun-spots; Hobson and Mummery’s linking of depressions in trade with insufficient consumption and excessive thrift; Marshall on price fluctuations on as the prevailing endogenous characteristic of cyclical fluctuations and his belief in the existence of a ten year cycle; Mitchell’s analysis of the imbalance between costs and prices that develops over the cycle; Kitchin’s distinction between movements of economic variables composed of either major or trade cycles and minor cycles averaging 40 months; and Kuznets attempt to give a rationale to the secondary secular movements he discovered.

In the mid-19th century, the business cycle was increasingly recognized as a recurrent phenomenon. This edition contains key texts from the range of literature in the field. It covers many Anglo-Saxon writers as well as contributions from the French, German, Italian, Russian and Swedish debates.

This introduction to modern business cycle theory uses a neoclassical growth framework to study the economic fluctuations associated with the business cycle. Presenting advances in dynamic economic theory and computational methods, it applies concepts to t

In the mid-nineteenth century the business cycle was increasingly recognised as a recurrent phenomenon. This edition contains key texts from the range of literature in the field.

Presents the empirical data of business cycles and the theories that economists have developed to explain and prevent them, and considers case studies of recessions and depressions in the United States and internationally. Despite more than two centuries of debate, a definitive explanation of the causes of economic cycles still does not exist. Economists, politicians, and policymakers have argued many well-known theories as to why these peaks and slumps occur, and cyclical recessions and depressions continue in spite of the enormous intellectual reserves working to prevent them. This timely analysis presents a comprehensive overview of global economics, assessing older theories alongside of new ways of thinking to reveal the empirical methods needed to evaluate, forecast, and prevent future crises. Educator and economist Todd Knoop provides explanations of influential macroeconomic theories that have shaped modern economics, such as Keynesian economics, Neoclassical economics, Austrian economics, and New Keynesian economics. In addition, he considers case studies of specific recessions and depressions, beginning with the Great Depression through the East Asian crisis and Great Recession in Japan and culminating with a detailed examination of the European debt crisis and the 2008 global financial crisis. The work concludes with a look at the insights gained from these fiscal events as well as the major questions that still remain unanswered as a result of these crises.

In the mid-nineteenth century the business cycle was increasingly recognised as a recurrent phenomenon. This edition contains key texts from the range of literature in the field.