History of a dangerous idea

2013 book about the economic policy

Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea is a 2013 book by Mark Blyth that explores the economic policy of austerity.

Studying the use of austerity around the world up to the early 2010s and tracing its intellectual lineage, Blyth argues that the case for increasing economic growth through austerity is overstated, is counterproductive when implemented during recessions, and has exacerbated the European debt crisis.^[1]Austerity was selected among the Best Books of 2013 in reviews by the Financial Times^[2] and Bloomberg News.^[3]

Background

Mark Blyth is the Eastman Professor of Political Economy and Professor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.^[4] He wrote Austerity in the aftermath of the Great Recession following the G20s' turn in mid-2010 away