Post B0oghUMX60Bi5W2g2C by alberto_cottica@mastodon.green
 (DIR) More posts by alberto_cottica@mastodon.green
 (DIR) Post #B0oghRSRtY8b4zmrL6 by alberto_cottica@mastodon.green
       2025-12-01T20:42:12Z
       
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       I can't believe I had missed this paper! Earlier in 2025, the leading researchers on #postgrowth #economics  (including Hickel, Jackson, Kallis, Raworth and Steinberger) ganged up to write a thoughtful review of post-growth research. The field has grown robust, branching out on important side quests, such as "do we have enough resources to secure decent living standards for 10 billion people?"and "how can we sustain a welfare state without growth?" THREAD 1/nhttps://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00310-3
       
 (DIR) Post #B0oghSvYQp0tdYPcLQ by alberto_cottica@mastodon.green
       2025-12-01T20:51:53Z
       
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       Researchers have created a comprehensive research agenda, and are well into implementation. For example, we now have "ecological macro" models that combine environmental with economic and financial variables, and can be used for simulations: LowGrow, with data from Canada, and Eurogreen, with data from France. We also have solid research on indicators of performance alternative to GDP, that can distinguish between beneficial and pernicious economic activities. 2/n
       
 (DIR) Post #B0oghUMX60Bi5W2g2C by alberto_cottica@mastodon.green
       2025-12-01T20:58:47Z
       
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       Started out as a "what if" exercise, post-growth  economics is evolving into a credible challenger to the neoclassical (mainstream) economics paradigm. Exciting times!In the time-honored tradition, the review article identifies directions where further research is most needed. The one that stands out is... #politics! "The question of politics emerges as an important research frontier."That we know what to do does not mean we know how to do it without using cohercion. 3/n
       
 (DIR) Post #B0oghVF7p1rAopaH7w by alberto_cottica@mastodon.green
       2025-12-01T21:02:06Z
       
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       This means that politicians and political scientists have a large role to play in the transition to... whatever comes after this. While neoclassical economics told them to write into law to the prescriptions of the technocrats, post/growth research interrogates them, and asks them to help model the transition. This is extremely inspiring. I am working on a small contribution, that I hope to co-write with several elected politicians, on "modeling economic reform". 4/n
       
 (DIR) Post #B0oghW7MZNF3X2xafQ by genmaicha@stereophonic.space
       2025-12-01T21:06:57.696380Z
       
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       @alberto_cottica are these researchers not merely a new generation of technocrats?
       
 (DIR) Post #B0oghciS2OTRzoMIJE by alberto_cottica@mastodon.green
       2025-12-01T21:04:51Z
       
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       What does reform look like to a politician in office? How did I experience trying to reform? If they did not try, on the basis of what considerations did they let it go? What would they need in order to push ambitious reform projects? This sort of stuff. Really looking forward to these conversations. Watch this space, or reach out if you want to help. 5/fin
       
 (DIR) Post #B0ojiBfYNk46GQxoC8 by alberto_cottica@mastodon.green
       2025-12-01T21:10:52Z
       
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       @genmaicha could be... but for now it's looking good. Hickel is an anthropologist, and anthropology is a discipline that, unlike economics, refused the Faustian pact "buttress the power that be and rule the world". No anthropologist ever became the head of the IMF, the World Bank or the US Treasury. Steinberger trained in physics. But more importantly, they are saying non-technocratic things.Then, obviously, they are only human, can be wrong or obstinate etc.