Jan Winiecki explores the various problems that the West must deal with in order to remain an efficient competitor in the world economy. These, he argues, are primarily consequences of the ever-expanding welfare state; consequences that are not only economic but also socio-psychological and, therefore, political. The author also considers the evolution of Western Europe and the USA from a new perspective, noting the ‘Europeanization’ of US economic policies and regulation and the ‘Americanization’ of polices and regulation in some European countries. The book concludes that the main challengers to the West – Brazil, Russia, India and China (the so-called BRIC group of countries) – are unlikely to gain economic supremacy over the West any time soon, given that they have to contend with their own difficulties.

Economic Futures of the West will prove a stimulating and challenging read for academics, researchers and students in the fields of economics, heterodox economics and development.

Contents: Preface Part I: Global Challenges: Irrelevant? Imaginary? Immaterial? 1. Anti-Globalists – Funny Children of Marx and Coca-Cola 2. World is Running Out of Resources (Once Again…) 3. Climate Alarmists, Climate Skeptics Part II: BRIC Countries and Global Economic Shifts: Projections and Realities 4. The Uneven Quality of the BRIC: Russia and Brazil as the Weaker Half 5. China and India: Competitors for Future Leadership in the Global Economy Part III: West in Decline and Still (Largely) in Denial 6. Global Financial Crisis as an Accelerator of Damaging Long-Term Trends 7. Intra-European Divergences at the Time of Crumbling Welfare State 8. How Much of American Exceptionalism is Still Left in the Europeanized United States? 9. Underpinnings for Scenario Postscript – Back to the Future Index