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Complexity Economics as Heterodoxy: Theory and Policy

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  • Wolfram Elsner

Abstract

Complexity economics has quickly become a powerful research program for real-world economics in recent years. This article provides an overview of complexity economics, and argues that it is incompatible with the “equilibrium” and “optimality” conceptions of the mainstream and its “market economy.” Instead, it develops older heterodox — including evolutionary-institutional — issues like self-organization, emergence, path‑dependence, idiosyncrasies, lock-ins, or skewed power distributions. Also, the space for emergent institutions through the “intentionality” of agents, including their improving collective performance, reducing complexity, and others, is investigated. This article considers complex adaptive systems through “games on networks” in an “evolution-of-cooperation” perspective. Moreover, a surge in policy implications of economic complexity has emerged, even if still rather general. With some more specific implications derived, the article again reveals the close similarities with long-standing heterodoxies: namely, pragmatist policy conceptions in this respect.

Suggested Citation

  • Wolfram Elsner, 2017. "Complexity Economics as Heterodoxy: Theory and Policy," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(4), pages 939-978, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:mes:jeciss:v:51:y:2017:i:4:p:939-978
    DOI: 10.1080/00213624.2017.1391570
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    Cited by:

    1. Kemal Erkisi & Melike Cetin, 2024. "Dynamics of Economic Complexity in Canada: A Multifaceted Long-Term Analysis," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 7, pages 3-20.
    2. Wieliczko, Barbara, 2020. "Suitability of Complexity Economics for Long-Term Agricultural Policy-Making," Problems of Agricultural Economics / Zagadnienia Ekonomiki Rolnej 311259, Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics - National Research Institute (IAFE-NRI).
    3. Silver, Steven D. & Raseta, Marko & Bazarova, Alina, 2023. "Stochastic resonance in the recovery of signal from agent price expectations," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    4. Christian Cordes & Wolfram Elsner & Claudius Graebner & Torsten Heinrich & Joshua Henkel & Henning Schwardt & Georg Schwesinger & Tong-Yaa Su, 2021. "The collapse of cooperation: the endogeneity of institutional break-up and its asymmetry with emergence," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 31(4), pages 1291-1315, September.
    5. Steve J. Bickley & Benno Torgler, 2021. "Behavioural Economics, What Have we Missed? Exploring “Classical” Behavioural Economics Roots in AI, Cognitive Psychology, and Complexity Theory," CREMA Working Paper Series 2021-21, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
    6. William A Jackson, 2024. "Dualities in the Organising of Markets," Discussion Papers 24/02, Department of Economics, University of York.
    7. Silvano Cincotti & Wolfram Elsner & Nathalie Lazaric & Anastasia Nesvetailova & Engelbert Stockhammer, 2020. "Towards an evolutionary political economy. Editorial to the inaugural issue of the Review of Evolutionary Political Economy REPE," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 1-12, May.
    8. Wolf Rogowski & Wolfram Elsner, 2021. "How economics can help mitigate climate change - a critical review and conceptual analysis of economic paradigms," Bremen Papers on Economics & Innovation 2106, University of Bremen, Faculty of Business Studies and Economics.
    9. George F. DeMartino, 2021. "The specter of irreparable ignorance: counterfactuals and causality in economics," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 2(2), pages 253-276, July.
    10. William A. Jackson, 2024. "Markets as dualistic, semi-decentralized organizations," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 153-172, June.
    11. Katarzyna Gruszka & Manuel Scholz-Wäckerle & Ernest Aigner, 2020. "Planetary carambolage: The evolutionary political economy of technology, nature and work," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 1(3), pages 273-293, November.
    12. Muhamed Kudic & Matthias Müller & Tobias Buchmann & Andreas Pyka & Jutta Günther, 2021. "Network dynamics, economic transition, and policy design—an introduction," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-8, April.

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