Routledge The Rise of Planning in Industrial America, 1865-1914: 54 (Routledge Explorations in Economic History)

Central economic planning is often associated with failed state socialism, and modern capitalism celebrated as its antithesis. This book shows that central planning is not always, or even primarily, a state enterprise, and that the giant industrial corporations that dominated the American economy through the twentieth century were, first and foremost, unprecedented examples of successful, consensual central planning at a very large scale. Review "There is much in this book to like. It is carefully argued. The theory is nuanced. The author has clearly thought deeply about the issues addressed for some time. The book is very interdisciplinary, weaving together elements of economics, business history, legal history, cultural history, and more. The book is easily accessible - Richard Adelstein provides hypothetical illustrations throughout his theoretical arguments - and yet should be of interest to any scholar interested in not just history but the role that corporations play in today's world." - Rick Szostak, University of Alberta About the Author Richard Adelstein is Woodhouse/Sysco Professor of Economics at Wesleyan University, USA.