Towards A New Economic Order: Postfordism, Ecology and Democracy (Europe and the International Order)

Developing a challenging account of the economic and political forces which have shaped the late twentieth century, internationally esteemed political economist Alain Lipietz outlines a new and original agenda for the future. Drawing on examples from the recent history of Europe, the Third World and North America, he argues that it is the intersection of the changing international economy with the experience of reaching the limits of Fordist forms of production that is responsible for the political and economic crisis of the last decades. Lipietz charts the responses of governments and businesses to the weaknesses of Fordism and their proposals for a postfordist future, and offers a radical critique of the economic model for solving the crisis prevalent in Anglo-Saxon countries. A major contribution to our understanding of the European political economy in the last decades of the century, Towards a New Economic Order will be vital reading for anyone concerned about the economy, the environment, or international relations.