I have been thinking about a series of "debate" diaries in which we apply the Socratic method to economics to try to figure out exactly what we need to say and why. Just as I was thinking about that, Sven (Triloquist) asked in an open thread why do we have to work? which is exactly  the kind of questions I was thinking about. (I thought about other things like why do we use money?, or why do we pay or demand interest?, and so on).

It's all about taking common economic practice (or conventional wisdom) and asking why, and then why to that, and so on, until we reach a collection of basic, simple assumptions which can be intuitively challenged. Alternatives to these challenged assumptions should also be intuitive, and form the core of the message (or maybe the Lakoffian frame towards which we should try to steer any discussion of economic policy).

Any thoughts?

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

You know, I've been thinking about this for awhile, and I've been meaning to put together a diary or series of diaries like that, but then the task seems so daunting that I have never actually sat down to write it.

I'll try to put together some sort of discussion diary along these lines.

A compilation of previously suggested resources can be found here.

Now as for references, I literally have a whole bookshelf filled with arguments and evidence debunking the ideas that social protection and the welfare state are bad for growth and employment, sketching out alternative employment policies, and proposing new economic doctrines as alternative to neoliberalism.

Let me just point out just three of my favorites, by a journalist, an economic historian, and a sociologist, respectively:

The Economic Illusion: False Choices Between Prosperity and Social Justice by Robert Kuttner

The economic illusion is the belief that social justice is bad for economic growth. . . . prosperity and social justice can be reconciled . . . they can be mutually reinforcing. . . . often social justice produces positive-sum economic gains. . . . All of these issues are deeply political. . . . The range of equality/efficiency bargains that present themselves and the design of social institutions to carry them out reflect balances of political power. Few if any of the choices are merely technical . . .

Growing Public: Social Spending and Ecoonmic Growth since the 18th Century by Peter Lindert

Lindert argues that, contrary to the intuition of many economists and the ideology of many politicians, social spending has contributed to, rather than inhibited, economic growth.

Postindustrial Possibilities: A Critique of Economic Discourse by Fred Block

. . . Block takes as his point of departure the tired concepts of neo-classical economics which, while still dominant, fall short as tools for comprehending contemporary economic forces. . . . . such as the market, labor, and capital. One of its primary foci is a shift toward improved product quality and greater priority for various non-commodity satisfactions such as leisure, interesting work, economic security and a safe and clean environment. It also promotes a recognition that greater economic efficiency rests not on infusions of capital but on cooperative labor relations and on institutional reform.

There is a "varieties of capitalism" literature in political science and sociology (not so much in economics, unfortunately) that takes seriously differences in institutions across countries. Here are some good introductory references:

• Varieties of Capitalism : The Institutional Foundations of Comparative Advantage
  
• Continuity and Change in Contemporary Capitalism
  
• Contemporary Capitalism: The Embeddedness of Institutions

You can also look at this older comment for some (mostly-US) sources and people to take a look at. Also here and here and here from our old Creating A New Left Economic Manifesto threads.

Some others I particularly like on aspects of the European social model include:

• Jonas Pontusson
  
• David Soskice
  
• Gosta Esping-Andersen
  
• Fritz Scharpf
  
• Jonathan Michie and John Grieve Smith (also this).
  
• Wolfgang Streeck
  
• Torben Iversen
  
• Kathleen Thelen
  
• Evelyne Huber and John Stephens
  
• Peter Swenson
  
• Harold Wilensky
  
• Paul Pierson (also here)

In terms of a general introduction to alternative ways of looking at economics, in addition to the Block book above:

• The Handbook of Economic Sociology
  
• Understanding Capitalism: Critical Analysis from Karl Marx to Amartya Sen