IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v31y1999i1p141-164.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Accumulation and the Rate of Profit: Regulating the Macroeconomy

Author

Listed:
  • M Webber

    (Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia)

  • D Rigby

    (Department of Geography, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1524, USA)

Abstract

In this paper we argue that as models of profitability and growth within the Marxist tradition have become more formal, they have relied increasingly upon assumptions of equilibrium. An alternative single-region, single-commodity model is proposed in which output, demand, and capital accumulation are independently determined and therefore potentially in disequilibrium. In the short run this means that profitability can be rising or falling, depending upon the rates of growth of demand, supply, and net exports, the rate of capital accumulation, the rate of change of unit costs of production, and the initial starting position of the economy. In the longer run, though, output is limited by the capacity of capital to produce and by the size of the labour force, and demand cannot exceed supply. These constraints place an upper bound on the rate of profit and its growth, a bound that depends on the rate of change in the unit costs of production and on the rate of growth of the labour force. In the longest term, net exports cannot continue to grow, and certain regulatory conditions are deduced: if those conditions are met as equalities then the rate of profit is constant; if they are met as inequalities, the rate of profit falls.

Suggested Citation

  • M Webber & D Rigby, 1999. "Accumulation and the Rate of Profit: Regulating the Macroeconomy," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 31(1), pages 141-164, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:31:y:1999:i:1:p:141-164
    DOI: 10.1068/a310141
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a310141
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/a310141?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Howard Pack, 1994. "Endogenous Growth Theory: Intellectual Appeal and Empirical Shortcomings," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 8(1), pages 55-72, Winter.
    2. Shaikh, Anwar, 1978. "Political Economy and Capitalism: Notes on Dobb's Theory of Crisis," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 2(2), pages 233-251, June.
    3. Weisskopf, Thomas E, 1979. "Marxian Crisis Theory and the Rate of Profit in the Postwar U.S. Economy," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 3(4), pages 341-378, December.
    4. Robert J. Barro, 1991. "Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 407-443.
    5. Nakatani, Takeshi, 1980. "The Law of Falling Rate of Profit and the Competitive Battle: Comment on Shaikh," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 4(1), pages 65-68, March.
    6. N. Gregory Mankiw & David Romer & David N. Weil, 1992. "A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(2), pages 407-437.
    7. Burmeister,Edwin, 1980. "Capital Theory and Dynamics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521297035, January.
    8. Griliches, Zvi, 1988. "Productivity Puzzles and R&D: Another Nonexplanation," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 2(4), pages 9-21, Fall.
    9. Alwyn Young, 1991. "Learning by Doing and the Dynamic Effects of International Trade," NBER Working Papers 3577, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Reuten, Geert, 1991. "Accumulation of Capital and the Foundation of the Tendency of the Rate of Profit to Fall," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 15(1), pages 79-93, March.
    11. Shaikh, Anwar, 1980. "Marxian Competition versus Perfect Competition: Further Comments on the So-Called Choice of Technique," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 4(1), pages 75-83, March.
    12. Alwyn Young, 1991. "Learning by Doing and the Dynamic Effects of International Trade," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 369-405.
    13. Salvadori, Neri, 1981. "Falling Rate of Profit with a Constant Real Wage: An Example," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 5(1), pages 59-66, March.
    14. Roemer, John E, 1978. "The Effect of Technological Change on the Real Wage and Marx's Falling Rate of Profit," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(30), pages 152-166, June.
    15. Maddison, Angus, 1987. "Growth and Slowdown in Advanced Capitalist Economies: Techniques of Quantitative Assessment," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 25(2), pages 649-698, June.
    16. Roemer, John E, 1979. "Continuing Controversy on the Falling Rate of Profit: Fixed Capital and Other Issues," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 3(4), pages 379-398, December.
    17. Michael Webber, 1997. "Profitability and Growth in Multiregion Systems: Prologue to a Historical Geography," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 73(4), pages 405-426, October.
    18. José Alberro & Joseph Persky, 1979. "The Simple Analytics of Falling Profit Rates, Okishio's Theorem and Fixed Capital," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 11(3), pages 37-41, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mariolis, Theodore, 2010. "Κριτική Έκθεση του "Νόμου της Πτωτικής Τάσης του Ποσοστού Κέρδους" του K. Marx: Κατανομή Εισοδήματος, Επισώρευση Κεφαλαίου και Τεχνολογική Μεταβολή στη Μακρά Περίοδο [Critical Exposition ," MPRA Paper 22461, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Erich Gundlach, 1997. "Human capital and economic development: A macroeconomic assessment," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 32(1), pages 23-35, January.
    3. Voxi Heinrich Amavilah, 2003. "Resource Inefficiency and Poor Aggregate Economic Performance in African Countries: The Case of Namibia, 1968-1992," Development and Comp Systems 0307005, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Aurora A.C. Teixeira & Natércia Fortuna, 2006. "Human capital, trade and long-run productivity. Testing the technological absorption hypothesis for the Portuguese economy, 1960-2001," FEP Working Papers 226, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    5. Alan M. Taylor, 1995. "Growth and Convergence in the Asia-Pacific Region: On the Role of Openness, Trade and Migration," NBER Working Papers 5276, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Mark Rogers, 2003. "A Survey of Economic Growth," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 79(244), pages 112-135, March.
    7. David Gould & Roy Ruffin, 1995. "Human capital, trade, and economic growth," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 131(3), pages 425-445, September.
    8. Andrea Bassanini & Stefano Scarpetta, 2003. "The Driving Forces of Economic Growth: Panel Data Evidence for the OECD Countries," OECD Economic Studies, OECD Publishing, vol. 2001(2), pages 9-56.
    9. Adriana Di Liberto, 2007. "Convergence and Divergence in Neoclassical Growth Models with Human Capital," Economia politica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 289-322.
    10. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:2:y:2002:i:1:p:1-15 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Amaia Altuzarra & Catalina Gálvez-Gálvez & Ana González-Flores, 2021. "Is Gender Inequality a Barrier to Economic Growth? A Panel Data Analysis of Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-21, January.
    12. Mehmet Balcilar & Ojonugwa Usman & George N. Ike, 2023. "Investing green for sustainable development without ditching economic growth," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 728-743, April.
    13. O'Rourke, Kevin H. & Williamson, Jeffrey G., 1997. "Around the European periphery 1870–1913: Globalization, schooling and growth," European Review of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(2), pages 153-190, August.
    14. Roland-Holst, David, 2004. "CGE Methods for Poverty Incidence Analysis: An Application to Vietnam’s WTO Accession," Conference papers 331305, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    15. Xavier Pautrel, 2001. "Formation dans la production, capital humain, innovation et croissance," Economie & Prévision, La Documentation Française, vol. 0(4), pages 171-185.
    16. Alberto F. Ades & Edward L. Glaeser, 1994. "Evidence on Growth, Increasing Returns and the Extent of the Market," NBER Working Papers 4714, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Jeffrey D. Sachs & Andrew Warner, 1995. "Economic Reform and the Process of Global Integration," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 26(1, 25th A), pages 1-118.
    18. Julia Wörz, 2005. "Skill Intensity in Foreign Trade and Economic Growth," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 32(1), pages 117-144, March.
    19. Aurora Teixeira & Natércia Fortuna, 2003. "Human Capital, Innovation Capability and Economic Growth," FEP Working Papers 131, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    20. Susan M. Collins & Barry P. Bosworth, 1996. "Economic Growth in East Asia: Accumulation versus Assimilation," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 27(2), pages 135-204.
    21. Bos, J.W.B. & Economidou, C. & Koetter, M. & Kolari, J.W., 2010. "Do all countries grow alike?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(1), pages 113-127, January.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:31:y:1999:i:1:p:141-164. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.