Political Economy

This book reflects on the spatially and socially uneven impacts of austerity and considers its future impacts on individuals, families and areas. In doing so, it offers a new critical analysis of the uneven geographies created by austerity in the post-welfare age.

Ricardo’s Dream tells the fascinating story of David Ricardo, Adam Smith’s only real rival as the ‘founder of economics’: who introduced the study of abstract models to economics. He also developed the theory of trade that underpinned globalization and hides a history of power, empire and slavery.

Given the destructive consequences of capitalism, it has never been more urgent to reconsider democratic planning. But how can we construct this in realistic terms? This accessible work bridges current movements with academic and public discourse to offer an innovative and interdisciplinary approach to planning in the 21st century.

This book takes a critical political economy approach to understanding food insecurity in Canada and the UK. It provides a vision of a future whereby public control over the distribution of resources –including food – will eliminate food insecurity and other conditions that threaten health.