The Political Economy of Economic Freedom

Sir Alan Peacock, Economic Consultant to The David Hume Institute, Edinburgh, UK

The Political Economy of Economic Freedom brings together a timely selection of Sir Alan Peacock’s views on economic freedom, its philosophy, its influence on the critique of economic policy and the problems encountered in expanding it.

‘The captivating nature of these contributions to political economy – which were all published between 1976 and 1996, but mostly in the last decade – is a clear reflection of Sir Alan’s authoritative standing both as an academic economist and a government economic advisor. . . . the book addresses a wide range of philosophical questions and practical policy issues, thus offering plenty of stimulating material for both the theoretical and applied economist, as well as other social scientists.’
– M. Teresa Lunati, The Economic Journal

‘. . . many of the papers are worth reading, and each paper has a useful introduction explaining the context in which it was written. The best part of the book is the selection of papers in the last part, especially his [Alan Peacock’s] discussions of the regulation of broadcasting. There is much for an economist to learn from these papers: the role economists can play in public policy debates, the inner workings of committees, the role of information control in policy decisions.’
– William Sjostrom, Kyklos