1929: Capitalism and the World Economy Flashcards
(107 cards)
What did the concept of capitalism originally mean?
Money, either invested or lent
How was the term ‘capitalism’ originally used?
In criticism of a class society
How did the socialist Louis Blanc define capitalism in 1850?
“the appropriation of capital by some to the exclusion of others”
What did American writer Thornstein Veblen stress about capitalism in 1914?
That it was a concept much older than industrialisation, coming from the handicraft system, trade, and finance from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
Where did Thornstein Veblen see the concept of capitalism originating from?
Trade and finance in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
What were the 4 main components of capitalism according to Marx?
1 - the market, with a division of labour and money economy
2 - constant and unlimited accumulation of more and more capital (capital as an end in itself)
3 - irreconsilable tension between capitalists and workers
4 - enormous dynamism
How did Marx and Engels perceive the industrial revolution according to Jurgen Kocka?
“an epochal upheaval”
What did Marx think was endemic to capitalism?
Crisis
What would the crises inherit to capitalism result in according to Marx?
The overthrow of the capitalist system through a revolution of the proletariat
What did Joseph Schumpeter see as the core of capitalist development?
Creative destruction
How did Jurgen Kocka describe Schumpeter’s view of capitalism?
“It was clear to Schumpeter that introducing
the new means replacing and sometimes destroying the old.”
When was ‘Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy’ published?
1942
Why did Schumpeter think the economy changed of its own accord?
Innovation, which is why he was so interested in entrepreneurs as the vehicles of innovation
What is Schumpeter’s idea of the business cycle?
Innovations trigger growth and expansion before turning into a downswing, which lasts until a new innovation comes along and starts the process again
When was the gold standard introduced?
1821
What is the gold standard?
When a country’s currency is fixed to the value of gold
What is the gold standard meant to do?
Manage the differences between different currencies and markets around the world which facilitated trade
Who was the first country to formally adopt the gold standard in 1821?
England
What does Patricia Clavin call Britain in the nineteenth century?
The world’s banker
What does Patricia Clavin see as the main international project between 1870 and 1933?
“The creation and maintenance of a worldwide gold standard”
What does Patricia Clavin see the First World War as doing financially?
It reordered the global hierarchy, greatly benefitting America and Japanese industries
How much money did Britain borrow from America in WWI?
$4.3 billion
Who was the new world banker in 1918 as a result of the loans made during WWI?
America
What does patricia Clavin see the gold standard as doing in the 19th century?
“facilitated the expansion of international trade”