Economic structure and national accounting: G. Ortes' contribution to economic science

Abstract

The article aims to illustrate the contribution made to economic science by the Venetian Giammaria Ortes (1713-1790). At the root of Ortes’ work is the problem of poverty caused by the unbalanced distribution of goods produced in a nation, thus resulting in the suffering of a small or large portion of its population. For this reason, and with inspiration from W. Petty, Ortes proposed Political Geometry to obtain, thanks to set theoretical principles, reliable estimates of the most significant macroeconomic figures. For this purpose, Ortes carried out an exhaustive ten-year study into the Venetian State of the late 1700’s to measure the amount of goods required to ensure the decent subsistence of each of its citizens. By meticulously analysing the productive structure as well as the techniques then in use and with the help of experts in human physiology and other disciplines, Ortes attempted to collect the data needed to construct a system of indicators to establish a socio-economic balance in the Veneto.