Mainstream economics was founded on many strong assumptions. Institutions and politics were treated as irrelevant, government as exogenous, social norms as epiphenomena. As an initial gambit this was fine. But as the horizons of economic inquiry have broadened, these assumptions have becomehindrances rather than aids.

2003

Level: advanced

Prelude to Political Economy

Kaushik Basu

Oxford University Press

In a span of around 12 weeks, the course covers a wide range of topics including agent-based modeling, networks, dynamic, chaos, information, fractals, cooperation models and scaling in biology and society. The course acts as a perfect beginner level introduction spanning a wide range of topics in the field of complexity.

Level: beginner

Introduction to Complexity

Melanie Mitchell

Santa Fe Institute

In this clear and accessible book, an eminent political scientist offers a jargon-free introduction to the market system for all readers, with or without a background in economics

2002

Level: advanced

The Market System

Charles Edward Lindblom

Yale University Press

Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash Networks are ubiquitous in our modern society The World Wide Web that links us to and enables information flows with the rest of the world is the most visible example It is however only one of many networks within which we are situated Our …

Level: beginner

Networks

Daron Acemoglu; Asu Ozdaglar

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, there has been an unprecedented move towards 'rethinking economics' due to the damages generated by the global financial crisis that burst in 2007-2008. Almost a decade after this crisis, policy is still unable to provide all citizens greater wellbeing or at least an encouraging economic future.

2017

Level: advanced

A Modern Guide to Rethinking Economics

Louis-Philippe Rochon, Sergio Rossi

Edward Elgar Publishing

How did the rich countries really become rich? In this provocative study, Ha-Joon Chang examines the great pressure on developing countries from the developed world to adopt certain 'good policies' and 'good institutions', seen today as necessary for economic development.

2002

Level: advanced

Kicking Away the Ladder

Ha-Joon Chang

Anthem Press

Why are some nations more prosperous than others? Why Nations Fail sets out to answer this question, with a compelling and elegantly argued new theory: that it is not down to climate, geography or culture, but because of institutions.

2012

Level: advanced

Why Nations Fail

Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson

Crown