The authors defend a heterodox approach to the choices available in economic policies. Like the Keynesians, they see an important role for government in economic matters.
Their economic goal is real stability and long-term sustainable and equitable growth of well-being. They also make the crucial distinction between developed and developing countries. For the latter, economic volatility is much higher, economies are smaller and less diversified, capital and insurance markets are less developed, social safety nets are often non-existent, and their ability of absorbing trade and capital account shocks is limited.
Stiglitz et al. base their prescribed policies on `real' macroeconomics and `real' variables. Their fundamental aim is to attain the highest potential level of the employment of capital and labor. The real variables are growth, stability of real output, unemployment, poverty and inequality. Auxiliary variables, like inflation, are only important for their impact on the real ones: `A government that fails to provide employment for essentially everyone who is willing to work has failed in one of its primary obligations.'
Stiglitz et al. base their policies on `real' microeconomics: supply of cash and credit by banks and governments (social security), wage and price rigidities, market imperfections (bad investments) and balance sheet effects (on banks and businesses). They argue that central banks should target competitive exchange rates and low interest rates and prescribe increased government expansion policies if necessary.
Specific heterodox issues are an efficient national accounting framework, the reduction of risk (insurance) and the impact of international institutions (IMF) on domestic economies.
In the last part of the book, the authors torpedo the infamous IMF policy of capital market liberalization (CML). CML has pernicious effects on economic stability, reducing profits and investment (incentives). It has vicious distributional consequences for the poor (unemployment) and small businesses (bankruptcies). Most importantly, CML affects the autonomy of the democratic process and true national sovereignty.
The authors prescribe CMI (Intervention) with tariffs, quotas or indirect measures like banking regulations, or CMR (Restrictions) to fight corruption.
This superb economy handbook, with an excellent bibliography, is a must read for all students, scholars, professionals and laymen.