"The Future of Capitalism"

The Political Economy and Welfare Network will feature a high-key roundtable this year which examines a range of views on problems, perils and potentials of contemporary democratic capitalism. The discussion will draw on the path breaking recent research by our panelists, Professors Margaret Somers (University of Michigan), who will be presenting on her joint work with Fred Block (University of California at Davis), Wolfgang Streeck (Max Planck Institute of Social Research, Cologne) and Robert Boyer (EHESS, Paris). First, Margaret Somers explores the relevance of the political and economic philosophy of the Hungarian economist Karl Polanyi for understanding events since his Great Transformation was published in 1944. Wolfgang Streeck will analyze from the angle of neo-Marxist political economy the crises of capitalism since 2008. Focusing on the tensions and conflicts between democracy and capitalism, he will explore whether capitalism has come to an end. Finally, Robert Boyer will examine these questions of crisis and stability from the perspective of economics, focusing in particular on regulation theory. In bringing together these panelists, the roundtable will engage with a variety of methodological approaches, linking history, sociology and economics.