Comparison of Economics and Politics

As demonstrated by the current judgments concerning the economic situation of the former Soviet bloc countries, the success of any given country's political system is often determined by the success or failure of the economic condition of the country subject to its rule. In Economics Explained, Heilbroner and Thurow limit their definition and discussion of economic theory to the particulars of the American capitalist system. For the purposes of this paper, such a definition is sufficient. It should be noted, however, that Economics as a social science encompasses the description and analysis of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services in any system of exchange, whether the rules of that system are capitalist, socialist or otherwise. Similarly, William Greider's critique of the American political system in Who Will Tell the People is necessarily only interested in the functioning of the American democratic political system. However, the study of Politics is generally interested in the description and analysis of institutions and processes under any form of government.

Economic theory is concerned with the patterns of consumption, spending and investment of a given economic system. For Heilbroner and Thurow, that system is the American capitalist system and the distinctive features of that system are largely identified as the ingredients of the gross national product (GNP). GNP is defined as the total of

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terials (Merchant, 1992, p. 133). On the other hand, progressives view environmentalist goals of saving wilderness and improving environmental quality as benefitting white middle-class elites and alienating the hungry, homeless, and jobless (Merchant, 1992, p. 133). However, as social ecologists, they share a common outrage at the impact of industrialization on laboring peoples and nature and look beyond the individual to the social and environmental whole for values by which to restructure the world (Merchant, 1992, pp. 133-34). They seeks a world in which basic human needs are fulfilled through economic restructuring that is environmentally sustainable; thus, they are often connected to the movement for sustainable development. However, Merchant herself questions the likelihood of any such restructuring of the capitalist system. Merchant discusses three particular environmental movements: the Greens, ecofeminism, and sustainable development. Green political groups in most countries concentrate their activities on government, pressing for stronger environmental laws. Their ultimate goal is to transform politics into truly democratic and green directions (Merchant, 1992, p. 158). As organizations such as Earth First! and
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Approximate Pages = 22 (250 words per page)

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