Economics of Scarcity
A Mode of Production in Search for Allocative Efficiency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32387/prokla.v54i215.2115Keywords:
Allocation Problem, Coordination, Economic Planning, Relative ScarcityAbstract
Against the hope to overcome scarcity, I argue to center any speculation about the functioning of a postcapitalist economy on approaches of how society might administer scarcity. Beginning the analysis from Lionel Robbins’ concept of relative scarcity, four fundamental allocative mechanisms are presented as an alternative to the market mechanism. Yet, in light of their evident inadequacy to efficiently coordinate the material flows of the world economy, I conclude that others might also have to get to terms with a socialist interpretation of markets, which restricts planning ambitions to the commanding heights of the economy.
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