ABSTRACT

Macroeconomics has always played host to contesting schools of thought, but recent events have exacerbated those differences. To fully understand the subject, students need to be aware of these controversies. Rethinking Macroeconomics: A History of Economic Thought Perspective introduces students to the key schools of thought, equipping them with the knowledge needed for a true understanding of today’s economy.

The text guides the reader through multiple approaches to macroeconomic analysis before presenting the data for several critical economic episodes, all in order to explore which analytical method provides the best explanation for each event. It covers key background information on topics such as the basics of supply and demand, macroeconomic data, international trade and the balance of payments, the creation of the money supply, and the global financial crisis. This anticipated second edition contains new chapters on Modern Monetary Theory, the Japanese economy, the European Union, and the COVID-19 crisis, bringing the story up to date and broadening the international coverage.

Offering the context that is missing from existing introductory textbooks, this work encourages students to think critically about received economic wisdom. This is the ideal complement to any introductory macroeconomics textbook and is ideally suited for undergraduate students who have completed a principles of economics course.

The book is fully supported with additional online resources, which include lecture slides and an instructor manual.

chapter Chapter 1|26 pages

Rethinking macroeconomics

Introduction to economics

chapter Chapter 2|24 pages

Keynesian theory and policy

chapter Chapter 3|17 pages

Keynesian theory after Keynes

chapter Chapter 5|11 pages

Austrian capital and business cycle theory

chapter Chapter 6|8 pages

Real business cycles and supply-side economics

chapter Chapter 7|8 pages

Modern Monetary Theory

chapter Chapter 8|18 pages

The Great Depression

chapter Chapter 9|7 pages

The war years and postwar recovery

chapter Chapter 10|9 pages

The 1950s and 1960s

A time of economic growth

chapter Chapter 11|11 pages

The years of stagflation

chapter Chapter 12|6 pages

Japan

Economic miracle to lost decade

chapter Chapter 13|11 pages

The Great Moderation

chapter Chapter 14|21 pages

Financial crisis and deep recession

chapter Chapter 15|10 pages

Economics of the European Union

chapter Chapter 16|8 pages

COVID-19 and the economic collapse of 2020

chapter Chapter 17|14 pages

Conclusion

What approaches do people in authority use?