Economics And Power

When a marketplace is considered in isolation, the implicit conclusion is that markets are a sufficient defence against the exercise of power. But market transactions do not occur in isolation: they are defined by rules, property rights, prior events and social values. This book widens the focus of traditional economic analysis to examine the ways in which people may affect each other within and around markets to give rise to real power. Using conventional neoclassical assumptions about human behaviour, the book begins by developing a workable concept of power, allowing for its presence in a variety of forms and degrees. It examines the conditions under which power would necessarily be absent from market transactions and those under which it would be possible. It considers the decision processes of potential exercisers and subjects of power to determine when the exercise and success of power would be rational.

The Politics and Economics of Power looks at the emerging interface between economics and politics. The analysis of power relations - traditionally the preserve of political science - is increasingly being adopted by economists in order to aid understanding of concepts such as the 'contested nature' of market exchanges. The papers examine power relations in the firm and market-place, and offer an economic perspective on power relations.

Explains the economics of electricity at each step of the supply chain: production, transportation and distribution, and retail.

In the economic debate, power is defined and studied mainly as an interpersonal relation occurring out of perfect competition. This is a consequence of the combination of methodological individualism and the assumption of competition as a natural and everlasting coordinating mechanism, operating without any sort of coercion. This methodology, however, is not adequate to analyze the forms of social coercion that characterize capitalism. Economics and Power criticizes the main theories of power developed in economic literature, analyzing ultraliberal contractualism to radical political economics, and ultimately suggesting a Marxist conception of power and coercion in capitalism. Palermo’s ontological argument is rooted in the philosophy of ‘critical realism’.This unique volume presents his main finding as being that the essential coercive mechanism of capitalism is competition. Capitalist power is not caused by a lack of competition, but by the central role it plays in this mode of production. Following this, the chapters reconstruct a Marxian conception of power where it is analyzed as a social relation and argues that perfect competition does in fact exist under the disguise of capitalist power. This book criticizes the construct of power and the underlying ideas surrounding perfect competition. This book is of interest to those who study political economy, as well as economic theory and philosophy.

This book depicts the need for an economics that addresses social provisioning in the context of power and culture. Such an approach is necessary to the development of an analysis that treats human wants and technology as endogenous variables, thereby avoiding the atavism inherent in conventional economics epistemology. Only in this way can the requisite re-viewing of the place of economy in society be brought to bear in an economic analysis capable of addressing the seemingly intractable problems of the democratic capitalist societies.

Military power needs to be financed and economic development is often shaped by military conflict, thus the interaction of military and economy, power and money is central to the modern world. This book provides an accessible introduction to the economics of the use of organized force, with a wide range of historical and current examples.

Economists occupy leading positions in many different sectors including central and private banks, multinational corporations, the state and the media, as well as serving as policy consultants on everything from health to the environment and security. Power and Influence of Economists explores the interconnected relationship between power, knowledge and influence which has led economics to be both a source and beneficiary of widespread power and influence. The contributors to this book explore the complex and diverse methods and channels that economists have used to exert and expand their influence from different disciplinary and national perspectives. Four different analytical views on the role of power and economics are taken: first, the role of economic expert discourses as power devices for the formation of influential expertise; second, the logics and modalities of governmentality that produce power/knowledge apparatuses between science and society; third, economists as involved in networks between academia, politics and the media; and forth, economics considered as a social field, including questions of legitimacy and unequal relations between economists based on the detention of various capitals. The volume includes case studies on a variety of national configurations of economics, such as the US, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Mexico and Brazil, as well as international spaces and organisations such as the IMF. This book provides innovative research perspectives for students and scholars of heterodox economics, cultural political economy, sociology of professions, network studies, and the social studies of power, discourse and knowledge. “The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9780367817084, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.”

A new edition of the classic text explaining the fundamentals of competitive electricity markets—now updated to reflect the evolution of these markets and the large scale deployment of generation from renewable energy sources The introduction of competition in the generation and retail of electricity has changed the ways in which power systems function. The design and operation of successful competitive electricity markets requires a sound understanding of both power systems engineering and underlying economic principles of a competitive market. This extensively revised and updated edition of the classic text on power system economics explains the basic economic principles underpinning the design, operation, and planning of modern power systems in a competitive environment. It also discusses the economics of renewable energy sources in electricity markets, the provision of incentives, and the cost of integrating renewables in the grid. Fundamentals of Power System Economics, Second Edition looks at the fundamental concepts of microeconomics, organization, and operation of electricity markets, market participants’ strategies, operational reliability and ancillary services, network congestion and related LMP and transmission rights, transmission investment, and generation investment. It also expands the chapter on generation investments—discussing capacity mechanisms in more detail and the need for capacity markets aimed at ensuring that enough generation capacity is available when renewable energy sources are not producing due to lack of wind or sun. Retains the highly praised first edition’s focus and philosophy on the principles of competitive electricity markets and application of basic economics to power system operating and planning Includes an expanded chapter on power system operation that addresses the challenges stemming from the integration of renewable energy sources Addresses the need for additional flexibility and its provision by conventional generation, demand response, and energy storage Discusses the effects of the increased uncertainty on system operation Broadens its coverage of transmission investment and generation investment Updates end-of-chapter problems and accompanying solutions manual Fundamentals of Power System Economics, Second Edition is essential reading for graduate and undergraduate students, professors, practicing engineers, as well as all others who want to understand how economics and power system engineering interact.