The Industrial Study of Economic Progress


Book Description

This book is a volume in the Penn Press Anniversary Collection. To mark its 125th anniversary in 2015, the University of Pennsylvania Press rereleased more than 1,100 titles from Penn Press's distinguished backlist from 1899-1999 that had fallen out of print. Spanning an entire century, the Anniversary Collection offers peer-reviewed scholarship in a wide range of subject areas.




The Industrial Revolution and Economic Growth


Book Description

This volume, first published in 1971, brings together eleven essays and articles on the history of the industrial revolution. Method is the central consideration, and the author discusses ways in which historians have analysed the industrial revolution, demonstrates inconsistency and bias in their interpretations, and suggests an appropriate framework of economic theory for future studies. This title will be of interest to students of history and economics.







Economics of Research and Innovation in Agriculture


Book Description

"The challenges facing agriculture are plenty. Along with the world's growing population and diminishing amounts of water and arable land, the gradual increase in severe weather presents new challenges and imperatives for producing new, more resilient crops to feed a more crowded planet in the twenty-first century. Innovation has historically helped agriculture keep pace with earth's social, population, and ecological changes. In the last 50 years, mechanical, biological, and chemical innovations have more than doubled agricultural output while barely changing input quantities. The ample investment behind these innovations was available because of a high rate of return: a 2007 paper found that the median ROI in agriculture was 45 percent between 1965 and 2005. This landscape has changed. Today many of the world's wealthier countries have scaled back their share of GDP devoted to agricultural R&D amid evidence of diminishing returns. Universities, which have historically been a major source of agricultural innovation, increasingly depend on funding from industry rather than government to fund their research. As Upton Sinclair wrote of the effects industry influences, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." In this volume of the NBER Conference Report series, editor Petra Moser offers an empirical, applied-economic framework to the different elements of agricultural R&D, particularly as they relate to the shift from public to private funding. Individual chapters examine the sources of agricultural knowledge and investigate challenges for measuring the returns to the adoption of new agricultural technologies, examine knowledge spillovers from universities to agricultural innovation, and explore interactions between university engagement and scientific productivity. Additional analysis of agricultural venture capital point to it as an emerging and future source of resource in this essential domain"--




How Nations Succeed: Manufacturing, Trade, Industrial Policy, and Economic Development


Book Description

This book assesses developmental experience in different countries as well as British expansion following the industrial revolution from a developmental perspective. It explains why some nations are rich and others are poor, and discusses how manufacturing made economies flourish and spur economic development. It explains how today’s governments can design and implement industrial policy, and how they can determine economically strategic sectors to break out of Low and Middle Income Traps. Closely linked to global trade and (im)balances, industrialization was never an accident. Industrialization explains how some countries experience export-led growth and others import-led slowdowns. Many confuse industrialization with the construction of factory buildings rather than a capacity and skill building process through certain stages. Industrial policy helps countries advance through those stages. Explaining technical concepts in understandable terms, the book discusses the capacity and limits of the developmental state in industrialization and in general in economic development, demonstrating how picking-the-winner type focused industrial policy has worked in different countries. It also discusses how industrial policy and science, technology and innovation policies should be sequenced for best results.




Technology and the Pursuit of Economic Growth


Book Description

Technology's contribution to economic growth and competitiveness has been the subject of vigorous debate in recent years. This book demonstrates the importance of a historical perspective in understanding the role of technological innovation in the economy. The authors examine key episodes and institutions in the development of the U.S. research system and in the development of the research systems of other industrial economies. They argue that the large potential contributions of economics to the understanding of technology and economic growth have been constrained by the narrow theoretical framework employed within neoclassical economies. A richer framework, they believe, will support a more fruitful dialogue among economists, policymakers, and managers on the organization of public and private institutions for innovation. David Mowery is Associate Professor of Business and Public Policy at the School of Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley. Nathan S. Rosenberg is Fairleigh Dickinson Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He is the author of Inside the Black Box: Technology and Economics (CUP, 1983).




Technology and Industrial Progress


Book Description

The theoretical views on the nature and contribution of technology, and the empirical evidence from the major industrializing countries from the 18th century to the 20th century are covered by this text. The experiences of countries regarded in their time as the leaders of industrialization - Britain in the 18th century, the United States in the 19th century and Japan in the 20th century - are critically compared by the author. The chapters study the transfer of each of these patterns of technology and growth to later industrializers, such as continental Europe, the Soviet Union, and today's newly industrializing countries. Adopting approaches drawn from evolutionary economics, the author links micro-level phenomena relating to individual firms and technologies to macro-level outcomes as reflected in economic growth and development.




Industrial Progress and Human Economics


Book Description

"Industrial Progress and Human Economics" is a book authored by James Hartness, an American mechanical engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, and politician. Published in 1925, this book reflects Hartness's views on the intersection of industrial development, economic progress, and human welfare. Hartness was a prominent figure in the early 20th-century American industrial landscape, known for his innovations in machine tool technology and his role as the Governor of Vermont. In "Industrial Progress and Human Economics," he explores the relationship between industrialization and societal well-being, offering insights into how economic progress can be harnessed to improve the lives of individuals and communities. The book delves into various aspects of industrial progress, including technological innovation, productivity growth, and the organization of labor. Hartness emphasizes the importance of efficiency and innovation in driving economic growth, arguing that technological advancements are essential for improving living standards and expanding economic opportunities. At the same time, Hartness recognizes the potential social and environmental consequences of unchecked industrialization. He advocates for a balanced approach to economic development that takes into account the needs of workers, the preservation of natural resources, and the promotion of social equity. Central to Hartness's vision of "human economics" is the idea that economic progress should serve the broader interests of society, rather than merely maximizing profits for a select few. He calls for policies and practices that prioritize the well-being of workers, promote social justice, and foster a sense of community and solidarity. Throughout the book, Hartness draws on his own experiences as an engineer and businessman to illustrate his arguments, offering practical examples of how industrial progress can be aligned with human welfare. He also reflects on the role of government and public policy in shaping the trajectory of economic development, advocating for proactive measures to address social and economic challenges. Overall, "Industrial Progress and Human Economics" presents a holistic and forward-thinking perspective on the relationship between industrialization, economic growth, and human flourishing. Hartness's insights remain relevant today, offering valuable lessons for policymakers, business leaders, and scholars interested in promoting sustainable and inclusive economic development.




British Economic Growth During the Industrial Revolution


Book Description

In recent years, traditional views of a rapidly growing British economy between 1700 and 1850 have been overturned by convincing new research indicating that British economic growth was, in fact, relatively slow during much of the so-called industrial "revolution". This revisionist work, which is certain to profoundly affect any future scholarship on the subject, is the first to give a fully documented account of the new picture of British economic development that has recently emerged. Bringing together the results of the latest research, Crafts explores how the new growth estimates hold vital implications for our understanding of productivity, living standards, structural change, and international trade in 18th- and 19th-century Britain.




Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction


Book Description

Together these countries pioneered new technologies that have made them ever richer.