Economics is a discipline fundamentally concerned with effective coordination. In that way, its main concerns are very close to those of governance. Economics, like governance, has evolved considerably over the last half century. This book is a very modest attempt at gauging the relative importance of this tsunami and the way in which it might indicate what will be its future.
A Future for Economics proposes the reflections on this general theme by eight senior members of the economics profession who have all taught at some time in the Department of Economics at Carleton University in Ottawa a department that has always been known for its intellectual temerity and for its interest in extending the scope of economics beyond its traditional boundaries. The Carleton sample of economists who share their views here have practiced in different sub-fields of economics, and have chosen to articulate their views and experiences in very different ways.
But their collective experience reflects a broad exposure to the ways in which the discipline has evolved both in academic circles and in the various organizations and institutions where they have practiced their profession in Canada and abroad.