A defence of contemporary economics: 'Zombie economics' in review

Abstract

John Quiggin wants what fundamentally all economists want. He would like to make society better off. Of course, economists differ over how that goal should be accomplished. Quiggin thinks that society would be better off if income and wealth were redistributed from the currently rich to the currently poor, if there were a larger role for the government, and if fluctuations in aggregate employment were mitigated or eliminated entirely.