Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery / / John Mueller.
Democracy is overrated. Capitalism, on the other hand, doesn't get enough credit. In this provocative and engaging book, John Mueller argues that these mismatches between image and reality create significant political and economic problems--inspiring instability, inefficiency, and widespread cy...
Saved in:
Superior document: | Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Princeton University Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013 |
---|---|
VerfasserIn: | |
Place / Publishing House: | Princeton, NJ : : Princeton University Press, , [2001] ©1999 |
Year of Publication: | 2001 |
Edition: | Core Textbook |
Language: | English |
Online Access: | |
Physical Description: | 1 online resource (352 p.) :; 2 line illus., 2 tables |
Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
id |
9781400823123 |
---|---|
ctrlnum |
(DE-B1597)446244 (OCoLC)979623701 |
collection |
bib_alma |
record_format |
marc |
spelling |
Mueller, John, author. aut http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/aut Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery / John Mueller. Core Textbook Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2001] ©1999 1 online resource (352 p.) : 2 line illus., 2 tables text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier text file PDF rda Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- INTRODUCTION -- CAPITALISM -- DEMOCRACY -- CONCLUSION -- Appendix. AN INVENTORY OF PROPOSITIONS -- Notes -- References -- Index restricted access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_16ec online access with authorization star Democracy is overrated. Capitalism, on the other hand, doesn't get enough credit. In this provocative and engaging book, John Mueller argues that these mismatches between image and reality create significant political and economic problems--inspiring instability, inefficiency, and widespread cynicism. We would be far better off, he writes, if we recognized that neither system is ideal or disastrous and accepted instead the humdrum truth that both are "pretty good." And, to Mueller, that means good enough. He declares that what is true of Garrison Keillor's fictional store "Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery" is also true of democracy and capitalism: if you can't get what you want there, "you can probably get along without it." Mueller begins by noting that capitalism is commonly thought to celebrate greed and to require discourtesy, deceit, and callousness. However, with examples that range from car dealerships and corporate boardrooms to the shop of an eighteenth-century silk merchant, Mueller shows that capitalism in fact tends to reward behavior that is honest, fair, civil, and compassionate. He argues that this gap between image and reality hampers economic development by encouraging people to behave dishonestly, unfairly, and discourteously to try to get ahead and to neglect the virtuous behavior that is an important source of efficiency and gain. The problem with democracy's image, by contrast, is that our expectations are too high. We are too often led by theorists, reformers, and romantics to believe that democracy should consist of egalitarianism and avid civic participation. In fact, democracy will always be chaotic, unequal, and marked by apathy. It offers reasonable freedom and security, but not political paradise. To idealize democracy, Mueller writes, is to undermine it, since the inevitable contrast with reality creates public cynicism and can hamper democracy's growth and development. Mueller presents these arguments with sophistication, wit, and erudition. He combines mastery of current political and economic literature with references to figures ranging from Plato to P. T. Barnum, from Immanuel Kant to Ronald Reagan, from Shakespeare to Frank Capra. Broad in scope and rich in detail, the book will provoke debate among economists, political scientists, and anyone interested in the problems (or non-problems) of modern democracy and capitalism. Issued also in print. Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web. In English. Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 24. Aug 2021) Capitalism. Democracy. Entrepreneurship. POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political ideologies / Democracy. bisacsh Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Princeton University Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013 9783110442502 print 9780691090825 https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400823123 https://www.degruyter.com/isbn/9781400823123 Cover https://www.degruyter.com/cover/covers/9781400823123.jpg |
language |
English |
format |
eBook |
author |
Mueller, John, Mueller, John, |
spellingShingle |
Mueller, John, Mueller, John, Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery / Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- INTRODUCTION -- CAPITALISM -- DEMOCRACY -- CONCLUSION -- Appendix. AN INVENTORY OF PROPOSITIONS -- Notes -- References -- Index |
author_facet |
Mueller, John, Mueller, John, |
author_variant |
j m jm j m jm |
author_role |
VerfasserIn VerfasserIn |
author_sort |
Mueller, John, |
title |
Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery / |
title_full |
Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery / John Mueller. |
title_fullStr |
Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery / John Mueller. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery / John Mueller. |
title_auth |
Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery / |
title_alt |
Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- INTRODUCTION -- CAPITALISM -- DEMOCRACY -- CONCLUSION -- Appendix. AN INVENTORY OF PROPOSITIONS -- Notes -- References -- Index |
title_new |
Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery / |
title_sort |
capitalism, democracy, and ralph's pretty good grocery / |
publisher |
Princeton University Press, |
publishDate |
2001 |
physical |
1 online resource (352 p.) : 2 line illus., 2 tables Issued also in print. |
edition |
Core Textbook |
contents |
Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- INTRODUCTION -- CAPITALISM -- DEMOCRACY -- CONCLUSION -- Appendix. AN INVENTORY OF PROPOSITIONS -- Notes -- References -- Index |
isbn |
9781400823123 9783110442502 9780691090825 |
callnumber-first |
H - Social Science |
callnumber-subject |
HB - Economic Theory and Demography |
callnumber-label |
HB501 |
callnumber-sort |
HB 3501 M83 42001EB |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400823123 https://www.degruyter.com/isbn/9781400823123 https://www.degruyter.com/cover/covers/9781400823123.jpg |
illustrated |
Illustrated |
dewey-hundreds |
300 - Social sciences |
dewey-tens |
330 - Economics |
dewey-ones |
330 - Economics |
dewey-full |
330.122 |
dewey-sort |
3330.122 |
dewey-raw |
330.122 |
dewey-search |
330.122 |
doi_str_mv |
10.1515/9781400823123 |
oclc_num |
979623701 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT muellerjohn capitalismdemocracyandralphsprettygoodgrocery |
status_str |
n |
ids_txt_mv |
(DE-B1597)446244 (OCoLC)979623701 |
carrierType_str_mv |
cr |
hierarchy_parent_title |
Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Princeton University Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013 |
is_hierarchy_title |
Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery / |
container_title |
Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Princeton University Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013 |
_version_ |
1806143521032241152 |
fullrecord |
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><collection xmlns="http://www.loc.gov/MARC21/slim"><record><leader>05142nam a22007335i 4500</leader><controlfield tag="001">9781400823123</controlfield><controlfield tag="003">DE-B1597</controlfield><controlfield tag="005">20210824034702.0</controlfield><controlfield tag="006">m|||||o||d||||||||</controlfield><controlfield tag="007">cr || ||||||||</controlfield><controlfield tag="008">210824t20011999nju fo d z eng d</controlfield><datafield tag="020" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">9781400823123</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="024" ind1="7" ind2=" "><subfield code="a">10.1515/9781400823123</subfield><subfield code="2">doi</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="035" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">(DE-B1597)446244</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="035" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">(OCoLC)979623701</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="040" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">DE-B1597</subfield><subfield code="b">eng</subfield><subfield code="c">DE-B1597</subfield><subfield code="e">rda</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="041" ind1="0" ind2=" "><subfield code="a">eng</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="044" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">nju</subfield><subfield code="c">US-NJ</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="050" ind1=" " ind2="4"><subfield code="a">HB501</subfield><subfield code="b">.M83 2001eb</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="072" ind1=" " ind2="7"><subfield code="a">POL007000</subfield><subfield code="2">bisacsh</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="082" ind1="0" ind2="4"><subfield code="a">330.122</subfield><subfield code="2">22</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="100" ind1="1" ind2=" "><subfield code="a">Mueller, John, </subfield><subfield code="e">author.</subfield><subfield code="4">aut</subfield><subfield code="4">http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/aut</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="245" ind1="1" ind2="0"><subfield code="a">Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery /</subfield><subfield code="c">John Mueller.</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="250" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">Core Textbook</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="264" ind1=" " ind2="1"><subfield code="a">Princeton, NJ : </subfield><subfield code="b">Princeton University Press, </subfield><subfield code="c">[2001]</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="264" ind1=" " ind2="4"><subfield code="c">©1999</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="300" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">1 online resource (352 p.) :</subfield><subfield code="b">2 line illus., 2 tables</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="336" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">text</subfield><subfield code="b">txt</subfield><subfield code="2">rdacontent</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="337" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">computer</subfield><subfield code="b">c</subfield><subfield code="2">rdamedia</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="338" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">online resource</subfield><subfield code="b">cr</subfield><subfield code="2">rdacarrier</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="347" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">text file</subfield><subfield code="b">PDF</subfield><subfield code="2">rda</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="505" ind1="0" ind2="0"><subfield code="t">Frontmatter -- </subfield><subfield code="t">Contents -- </subfield><subfield code="t">Acknowledgments -- </subfield><subfield code="t">INTRODUCTION -- </subfield><subfield code="t">CAPITALISM -- </subfield><subfield code="t">DEMOCRACY -- </subfield><subfield code="t">CONCLUSION -- </subfield><subfield code="t">Appendix. AN INVENTORY OF PROPOSITIONS -- </subfield><subfield code="t">Notes -- </subfield><subfield code="t">References -- </subfield><subfield code="t">Index</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="506" ind1="0" ind2=" "><subfield code="a">restricted access</subfield><subfield code="u">http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_16ec</subfield><subfield code="f">online access with authorization</subfield><subfield code="2">star</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="520" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">Democracy is overrated. Capitalism, on the other hand, doesn't get enough credit. In this provocative and engaging book, John Mueller argues that these mismatches between image and reality create significant political and economic problems--inspiring instability, inefficiency, and widespread cynicism. We would be far better off, he writes, if we recognized that neither system is ideal or disastrous and accepted instead the humdrum truth that both are "pretty good." And, to Mueller, that means good enough. He declares that what is true of Garrison Keillor's fictional store "Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery" is also true of democracy and capitalism: if you can't get what you want there, "you can probably get along without it." Mueller begins by noting that capitalism is commonly thought to celebrate greed and to require discourtesy, deceit, and callousness. However, with examples that range from car dealerships and corporate boardrooms to the shop of an eighteenth-century silk merchant, Mueller shows that capitalism in fact tends to reward behavior that is honest, fair, civil, and compassionate. He argues that this gap between image and reality hampers economic development by encouraging people to behave dishonestly, unfairly, and discourteously to try to get ahead and to neglect the virtuous behavior that is an important source of efficiency and gain. The problem with democracy's image, by contrast, is that our expectations are too high. We are too often led by theorists, reformers, and romantics to believe that democracy should consist of egalitarianism and avid civic participation. In fact, democracy will always be chaotic, unequal, and marked by apathy. It offers reasonable freedom and security, but not political paradise. To idealize democracy, Mueller writes, is to undermine it, since the inevitable contrast with reality creates public cynicism and can hamper democracy's growth and development. Mueller presents these arguments with sophistication, wit, and erudition. He combines mastery of current political and economic literature with references to figures ranging from Plato to P. T. Barnum, from Immanuel Kant to Ronald Reagan, from Shakespeare to Frank Capra. Broad in scope and rich in detail, the book will provoke debate among economists, political scientists, and anyone interested in the problems (or non-problems) of modern democracy and capitalism.</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="530" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">Issued also in print.</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="538" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="546" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">In English.</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="588" ind1="0" ind2=" "><subfield code="a">Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 24. Aug 2021)</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="650" ind1=" " ind2="0"><subfield code="a">Capitalism.</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="650" ind1=" " ind2="0"><subfield code="a">Democracy.</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="650" ind1=" " ind2="0"><subfield code="a">Entrepreneurship.</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="650" ind1=" " ind2="7"><subfield code="a">POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political ideologies / Democracy.</subfield><subfield code="2">bisacsh</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="773" ind1="0" ind2="8"><subfield code="i">Title is part of eBook package:</subfield><subfield code="d">De Gruyter</subfield><subfield code="t">Princeton University Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013</subfield><subfield code="z">9783110442502</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="776" ind1="0" ind2=" "><subfield code="c">print</subfield><subfield code="z">9780691090825</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="856" ind1="4" ind2="0"><subfield code="u">https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400823123</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="856" ind1="4" ind2="0"><subfield code="u">https://www.degruyter.com/isbn/9781400823123</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="856" ind1="4" ind2="2"><subfield code="3">Cover</subfield><subfield code="u">https://www.degruyter.com/cover/covers/9781400823123.jpg</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">978-3-11-044250-2 Princeton University Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013</subfield><subfield code="c">2000</subfield><subfield code="d">2013</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">EBA_BACKALL</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">EBA_CL_SN</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">EBA_EBACKALL</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">EBA_EBKALL</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">EBA_ECL_SN</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">EBA_EEBKALL</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">EBA_ESSHALL</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">EBA_PPALL</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">EBA_SSHALL</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">EBA_STMALL</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">GBV-deGruyter-alles</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">PDA11SSHE</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">PDA12STME</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">PDA13ENGE</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">PDA17SSHEE</subfield></datafield><datafield tag="912" ind1=" " ind2=" "><subfield code="a">PDA5EBK</subfield></datafield></record></collection> |