Dystopia and Economics by Charity-Joy Revere Acchiardo Michelle Albert Vachris & Vachris Michelle Albert

Author:Charity-Joy Revere Acchiardo,Michelle Albert Vachris & Vachris, Michelle Albert
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)

The rules of the (hunger) game

Economist Douglass North (who won the Nobel Prize in 1993) said that: “Institutions are the rules of the game in a society, […] the humanly devised constraints that shape human interaction. […] They structure incentives in human exchange, whether political, social or economic” (North, 1990, p. 4). This includes all of those things that order life, including the legal issues such as property and contract laws, as well as the religious aspects, social norms, and cultural expectations of society.

Economists, who were trying to understand why the bulldozers they sent to Sudan didn’t make the country into an economic dynamo, began looking at institutions in earnest in the 1980s. They found growth depends on more than having sufficient capital. The institutional environment could make or break an economy. This led to an explosion of research into the role institutions play in economic growth. The results were and still are stunning.8 In many cases the research suggests that institutions are more important than bulldozers (and other forms of capital), and the contest isn’t even close. Adam Smith was right: if you have a government that constructs a just court system and processes that support trade, you are likely to be better off than those countries without such a government. Institutional environments that promote political stability; credible, democratically elected governments; and civil liberties also contribute to consistent growth. Now, let’s think about the way things work in Panem.

First, the regime that came to power in the Capitol became an unquestioned autarchy after the rebellion that resulted in the Hunger Games. There is an obvious top down leadership structure. The mandates of the president favor those living in the Capitol at the expense of everyone else. No one owns their own means of production; it is all controlled by the state. In fact, the Hunger Games exist as a reminder to citizens that they do not control their own lives. Participation is mandatory. You must submit your name to a contest where, if chosen, the probability of death is 95.83%.

Second, justice in Panem is hardly just. Theft is punishable by death. Public whippings occur frequently. If you want to leave, you are either executed or your tongue is cut out, and you are forced into an even more severe form of slavery.

Third, trade is forbidden. Thus, road maintenance between the districts is not an issue. Infrastructure is actually a tool of oppression. District 12 gets a few hours of electricity a day, but curiously, electricity always works during the Hunger Games and when the Capitol wants to broadcast a message.

Other characteristics of growing economies are also absent in Panem. The president isn’t elected; he’s a dictator for life. There are no civil rights. To limit revolt, freedom of speech is abolished. People are constantly looking over their shoulders wondering if what they say will be recorded or reported.

While Panem has political stability (it’s easy if the dissenters are all dead or mute), it doesn’t provide an environment where anyone, other than the ruling elite wants to live.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.