Russia and America (1987) examines the divergence between two countries organised on diametrically opposed economic principles – one centrally-planned, state-dominated, the other a highly decentralised market economy, free from significant government intervention. It highlights not the political changes brought about by the Russian revolution, but a longer more gradual process of interaction between physical and human environments. A comparative study extending over several centuries is used to account for the striking differences in their economic history.
Part 1. Theory and Practice 1. Coverage and Concepts 2. ‘Stylised Facts’ and Questions Part 2. Risk, Resources and the Natural Environment 3. Of Gardens and Deserts 4. Economic Impact of Shocks and Disasters 5. Pioneer Risk Part 3. Risk, Regimes and the Human Environment 6. Creation of Government 7. Creation of Markets 8. Interaction of Government and Markets Part 4. Conclusion 9. A General Model of an Uncertain and Insecure World
Biography
Colin White
