Grain Markets in Europe,1500–1900 - Assets.pdfVIP

Cambridge University Press 0521650968 - Grain Markets in Europe, 1500-1900: Integration and Deregulation Karl Gunnar Persson Frontmatter More information Grain Markets in Europe, 1500–1900 Karl Gunnar Persson surveys a broad sweep of economic history, exam- ining one of the most crucial markets – grain. His analysis allows him to draw more general lessons – for example, that liberalisation of markets was linked to political authoritarianism. Grain Markets in Europe, 1500–1900 traces early regulation to poor performance and frequent market failures. Price volatility caused by harvest shocks was of major concern for central and local government because of the unrest it caused. Regulation became obsolete when markets became more inte- grated and performed better through trade triggered by falling transport costs. Karl Gunnar Persson, a specialist in economic history, uses insights from development economics, explores contemporary eco- nomic thought on the advantages of free trade and measures the extent of market integration using state-of-the-art econometric methods. Grain Markets in Europe,1500–1900 will be of value to scholars and students in economic history, social history and agricultural and institutional eco- nomics.    is Reader at the Institute of Economics, the University of Copenhagen. A former President of the European Historical Economics Society, and current editor of the European Review of Econonic History, he has lectured widely o