Mats Lundahl

Haiti is a very poor country with a stagnant economy. This title, first published in 1983, considers the Haitian economy, placing it in its historical context, and explores the reasons why it has performed so badly. Mats Lundahl examines agriculture, which has failed to provide an adequate standard of living, analyses the structure of agricultural production, and explains why the land is so unproductive. Lundahl analyses why technology in agriculture is so underdeveloped and argues that no government since 1820 has been seriously interested in fostering economic development, since vested interest consistently intervenes to discourage new projects.

This book, written by two leading Swedish economists and first published in 1984, constitutes a threefold contribution to the expanding field of economic discrimination. In the first place, it summarizes different approaches to the economics of discrimination, from the beginning of the British debate on equal pay in the 1890s onwards. Secondly, the book contains analytical chapters that, taking the theory originated by Gary Becker as their point of departure, critique and develop the Beckerian theory in a number of ways; in particular, the phenomenon known as crowding is investigated in different models. Finally, the theories thus developed are applied to a concrete case of discrimination: that of apartheid in South Africa. This is a fascinating title that will be of value to any economics students researching the development of discrimination theory during the twentieth-century in particular.

Haiti is a country which, until the earthquake of 2010, remained largely outside the focus of world interest and outside the important international historical currents during its existence as a free nation. The nineteenth century was the decisive period in Haitian history, serving to shape the class structure, the political tradition and the economic system. During most of this period, Haiti had little contact with both its immediate neighbours and the industrialised nations of the world, which led to the development of Haiti as a peasant nation. This title, first published in 1979, examines the factors responsible for the poverty of the Haitian peasant, by using both traditional economic models as well as a multidisciplinary approach incorporating economics and other branches of social science. The analysis deals primarily with the Haitian peasant economy from the early 1950s to the early 1970s, examining in depth the explanations for the secular tendency of rural per capita incomes to decline during this period.

Agriculture is at the centre of the economies of many developing countries, and its stagnation and poor performance across large parts of Africa is a major cause for concern. First published in 1990, this book focuses on the nature and role of incentives in agricultural organization and production in East Africa, looking in particular at the political and ideological determinants of that role. Mats Lundahl analyses ways of improving agricultural performance, and considers the ‘African socialism’ of Julius Nyererein contrast with this with market-led approaches, which he favours. A detailed title, this volume will of interest to all those concerned with the issues of rural development, including students of development studies, economics, and African studies.

Haiti, one of the least developed and most vulnerable nations in the Western Hemisphere, made the international headlines in January 2010 when an earthquake destroyed the capital, Port-au-Prince. More than a year later, little reconstruction has taken place, in spite of a strong international funding commitment. Mats Lundahl has written several seminal works on Haiti, and this volume brings together the best of his past work on Haiti’s economic and political history, along with a comprehensive introduction and two new chapters which bring the story right up to the present day. Together, the volume provides both historical background and explanation as to why Haiti was so badly affected by the earthquake, and to why reconstruction efforts have been ineffective this far. Lundahl argues that the two main causes can found in the interaction between the growth of the population and the destruction of the arable soil on the one hand, and in the creation of a predatory state during the nineteenth century, which still exists to this day. This book provides a comprehensive analysis, which charts these themes from the time of the arrival of Columbus in the island in 1492, to the present day. The book also deals with contemporary market and policy failures, as well as the crucial recent elections, and considers the path ahead for this impoverished nation.This book will be of huge relevance and interest not only to students and researchers in economic history, but also for all those working on development economics, development studies and American and Caribbean Studies more generally.

Haiti is a country which, until the earthquake of 2010, remained largely outside the focus of world interest and outside the important international historical currents during its existence as a free nation. The nineteenth century was the decisive period in Haitian history, serving to shape the class structure, the political tradition and the economic system. During most of this period, Haiti had little contact with both its immediate neighbours and the industrialised nations of the world, which led to the development of Haiti as a peasant nation. This title, first published in 1979, examines the factors responsible for the poverty of the Haitian peasant, by using both traditional economic models as well as a multidisciplinary approach incorporating economics and other branches of social science. The analysis deals primarily with the Haitian peasant economy from the early 1950s to the early 1970s, examining in depth the explanations for the secular tendency of rural per capita incomes to decline during this period.

Haiti is a very poor country with a stagnant economy. This title, first published in 1983, considers the Haitian economy, placing it in its historical context, and explores the reasons why it has performed so badly. Mats Lundahl examines agriculture, which has failed to provide an adequate standard of living, analyses the structure of agricultural production, and explains why the land is so unproductive. Lundahl analyses why technology in agriculture is so underdeveloped and argues that no government since 1820 has been seriously interested in fostering economic development, since vested interest consistently intervenes to discourage new projects.

This book, written by two leading Swedish economists and first published in 1984, constitutes a threefold contribution to the expanding field of economic discrimination. In the first place, it summarizes different approaches to the economics of discrimination, from the beginning of the British debate on equal pay in the 1890s onwards. Secondly, the book contains analytical chapters that, taking the theory originated by Gary Becker as their point of departure, critique and develop the Beckerian theory in a number of ways; in particular, the phenomenon known as crowding is investigated in different models. Finally, the theories thus developed are applied to a concrete case of discrimination: that of apartheid in South Africa. This is a fascinating title that will be of value to any economics students researching the development of discrimination theory during the twentieth century in particular.

Agriculture is at the centre of the economies of many developing countries, and its stagnation and poor performance across large parts of Africa is a major cause for concern. First published in 1990, this book focuses on the nature and role of incentives in agricultural organization and production in East Africa, looking in particular at the political and ideological determinants of that role. Mats Lundahl analyses ways of improving agricultural performance, and considers the ‘African socialism’ of Julius Nyerere in contrast with the market-led approaches, which he favours. A detailed title, this volume will of interest to all those concerned with the issues of rural development, including students of development studies, economics, and African studies.

Haiti, one of the least developed and most vulnerable nations in the Western Hemisphere, made the international headlines in January 2010 when an earthquake destroyed the capital, Port-au-Prince. More than a year later, little reconstruction has taken place, in spite of a strong international funding commitment. Mats Lundahl has written several seminal works on Haiti, and this volume brings together the best of his past work on Haiti’s economic and political history, along with a comprehensive introduction and two new chapters which bring the story right up to the present day. Together, the volume provides both historical background and explanation as to why Haiti was so badly affected by the earthquake, and to why reconstruction efforts have been ineffective this far. Lundahl argues that the two main causes can found in the interaction between the growth of the population and the destruction of the arable soil on the one hand, and in the creation of a predatory state during the nineteenth century, which still exists to this day. This book provides a comprehensive analysis, which charts these themes from the time of the arrival of Columbus in the island in 1492, to the present day. The book also deals with contemporary market and policy failures, as well as the crucial recent elections, and considers the path ahead for this impoverished nation.This book will be of huge relevance and interest not only to students and researchers in economic history, but also for all those working on development economics, development studies and American and Caribbean Studies more generally.

Knut Wicksell is arguably the greatest Swedish social scientist of all time, and poverty was a theme that occupied him all his life. Indeed, it was probably Wicksell's interest in poverty that was the critical factor in drawing him away from his purely mathematical background towards a greater understanding of the social sciences as a whole.In this outstanding volume, Mats Lundahl, one of the world's leading development economists, examines Wicksell's thinking in the area of poverty, and shows the importance of his contributions to this field.

Knut Wicksell is arguably the greatest Swedish social scientist of all time, and poverty was a theme that occupied him all his life. Indeed, it was probably Wicksell's interest in poverty that was the critical factor in drawing him away from his purely mathematical background towards a greater understanding of the social sciences as a whole.In this outstanding volume, Mats Lundahl, one of the world's leading development economists, examines Wicksell's thinking in the area of poverty, and shows the importance of his contributions to this field.

This book examines the relationship between economics, politics and religion through the case of Olivorio Mateo and the religious movement he inspired from 1908 in the Dominican Republic. The authors explore how and why the new religion was formed, and why it was so successful. Comparing this case with other peasant movements, they show ways in which folk religion serves as a response to particular problems which arise in peasant societies during times of stress.