World-System (1960-2100) Growth-And-Collapse Modes
The concept of a Steady State Economy seemed reasonable to the Classical Economists but the idea was abandoned in the 20th Century when Neoclassical Economists fell in love with unlimited exponential growth . Peddling Prosperity is the key for Policy Entrepreneurs to gain access to political influence. No politician can stand up (successfully) and peddle Limits to Growth . And, once a political system ( particularly at the local level ) is on the Growth Treadmill , there is no getting off until the system collapses. From the perspective of Systems Theory , however, a steady state is just one of a number (seven to be exact) of Growth Paths that systems models can generate when there is no random variation input. Systems Theory treats the Steady State Economy as a testable prediction rather than an inevitability. Looking at the World System being driven by...