Abstract
The term ‘national system of political economy’ stems from a filiation of American and German ideas that arose in opposition to the universalist character of classical economics and were designed to promote public policies serving the economic development of the nation. The development was visualized as one that would yield a balance of agriculture and industry and make the most of a country’s potential economic strength. The term ‘American system’ occurs as early as 1787 in No. 11 of The Federalist, where Alexander Hamilton launches this appeal to his readers: ‘Let the thirteen states, bound together in a strict and indissoluble Union, concur in erecting one great American system, superior to the control of all transatlantic force or influence and able to dictate the terms of the connection between the old and the new world.’
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Bibliography
Bowen, F. 1870. American political economy. New York: Scribner.
Carey, H. 1858–59. Principles of social science, 3 vols. Philadelphia: Lipincott.
Conkin, P.K. 1980. Prophets of prosperity: America’s first political economists. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Dorfman, J. 1946. The economic mind in American civilization. Vol. 1–2. New York: Viking Press.
Hamilton, A. 1934. In Papers on public credit, commerce and finance, ed. S. McKee. New York: Columbia University Press.
Henderson, W.O. 1983. Friedrich List: Economist and visionary 1789–1846. London: Cass.
Hirst, M.E. 1909. Life of Friedrich List and selections from his writings. London: Smith, Elder.
List, F. 1827. Outlines of American political economy. Reprinted in The life of Friedrich List and selection from his writings, ed. M.E. Hirst. London: Smith, Elder, 1909.
List, F. 1837. The Natural system of political economy. Trans. and ed. W.O. Henderson. London: Cass, 1983.
List, F. 1956. National system of political economy. Philadelphia: Lippincott.
Samuelson, P.A. 1960. American economics. In Postwar economic trends in the United States, ed. R.E. Freeman. New York: Harper. Reprinted in P.A. Samuelson, collected scientific papers, ed. J.E. Stiglitz, vol. 2, 1732–1747. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1966.
Spiegel, H.W. 1960. The rise of American economic thought. Philadelphia: Chilton.
Spiegel, H.W. 1983. The growth of economic thought. Revised and expanded ed. Durham: Duke University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Copyright information
© 2018 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Spiegel, H.W. (2018). National System. In: The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95189-5_725
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95189-5_725
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-95188-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-95189-5
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences