Policy Press

Extinction Equilibrium

Economics for Generational Survival

By Jefferson Frank

Published

Oct 1, 2024

Page count

224 pages

ISBN

978-1529226379

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Bristol University Press

Published

Oct 1, 2024

Page count

224 pages

ISBN

978-1529226362

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Bristol University Press

Published

Oct 1, 2024

Page count

224 pages

ISBN

978-1529226386

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Bristol University Press
Extinction Equilibrium

Generation Z has grown up with a global financial crisis, a pandemic, the climate emergency, growing autocracy and wars. Survival, not just equity, is at stake.

As debate rages about how to ensure a fairer and sustainable society, this book challenges short-sighted economic policies, asking where we want to be in 20 years’ time and how we might get there.

Offering fresh, and sometimes counter intuitive, thinking on a range of economic issues including monetary policy, housing and university funding, it argues in favour of policy guardrails to protect the future, higher interest rates, and a burst of inflation. Robots and AI should be seen as positive replacements for population growth.

This is an original, readable and entertaining take on how we can change course before it is too late.

Jefferson Frank was founding head of the Economics Department at Royal Holloway. Trained as a macroeconomist, Jeff has also extensively investigated the gender pay gap, BME and LGBTQ discrimination, inequality in the university sector, and the current funding and fees crisis. He is the author of The Responsible Economy (Routledge, 2014) and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Preface

1. Introduction

2. Doing and Undoing Economics

3. The Long and Short of It

4. The Fed Did It

5. The Everything Bubble

6. Smart Motorways

7. The Future of Work

8. People and Robots

9. Universities

10. Housing

11. Let the Good Times Roll