Praise for Peace Economics

“The effect of violence on economic progress is very strong, yet it has not received appropriate attention. Jurgen Brauer and J. Paul Dunne have performed a great service by combining general economic perspectives with case studies to survey economic growth in its broadest aspects, in particular stressing the role of internal and external conflict.”

—Kenneth J. Arrow, Nobel Laureate and Joan Kenney Professor of Economics and professor of operations research, Stanford University

“Peace Economics is essential reading for any person interested in understanding and assessing the costs of war and how to create real incentives to secure a stable peace. It illuminates the political economy of war and peace brilliantly. The twelve design principles for building peaceful institutions and the four policy lessons brilliantly provide policymakers and concerned citizens with economic and social tools to rebuild trust, social capital, and cooperative harmonious social and political relationships. I heartily commend this book to anyone interested in ensuring that the twenty-first century is an age of maturity and peacefulness.”

—Kevin P. Clements, foundation chair and director, National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand and past secretary general, International Peace Research Association (IPRA)

“The volume entitled Peace Economics: A Macroeconomic Primer for Violence-Afflicted States will be the bible for all peace economists. Jurgen Brauer and J. Paul Dunne, two of the most distinguished peace economists, have produced a timely, nuanced, and excellent book that painstakingly collects the artifacts of modern macroeconomics with relevant social and cultural ammunitions needed for developing the analytical foundation of peace economics. This volume will be an important and decisive step toward dismantling the sophistry of peace economics built solely on economic principles.”

—Partha Gangopadhyay, editor-in-chief, International Journal of Development and Conflict, and associate professor, School of Economics and Finance, University of Western Sydney

“Most economics is peace economics in that it assumes away violence, but violence is endemic and economic processes do influence the incentive to use violence. This book takes the violence seriously and examines how macroeconomic policy can contribute to keeping or restoring the peace. It presents the basic economic principles in a way that is relevant to practitioners facing the challenge of reducing violence or trying to promote postconflict reconstruction. The key policy lessons and tips are summarized at each stage and the final chapter looks at how to design and promote peace. Brauer and Dunne very effectively condense a large amount of technical material into a form that policymakers in states afflicted by violence will find very useful.”

—Ron Smith, professor of applied economics, Birkbeck College, University of London

“Why should economists care about conflict and violence? Brauer and Dunne have a very convincing answer: Not only has conflict economic costs and causes that hinder long-run development, but conflict is also part of the very nature of economics. Predation and plunder, as well as production and exchange, are means of resource allocation. This book is a mandatory reference for both academics and practitioners interested in the macroeconomics of conflict-affected states, and in how to make peace enduring and resilient.”

—Juan Vargas, professor of economics, Universidad del Rosario