Market for Political Economy

Why did political economy become pre-eminent in the emergence and development of the social sciences? From a relatively early stage in its development, political economy was accepted as a legitimate, if minor, part of a general liberal education. However, economic science did not become firmly rooted in the academic curriculum of the modern English university until after World War I. The author argues that whilst it is commonly assumed that the complexities of a modern industrial economy would require a greater number of trained economists, the actual demand amongst employers remained low. The text traces the development of the teaching of political economy in the second half of the 19th century, paying particular attention to the extension movement, the impact of the civic universities and to Marshall's work in establishing the economics tripos at Cambridge.

`The best account to date of a formative phase of British economics.' - TLS`Kadish has an encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject...a very fine new book.' - THES