Abstract
Although the existence of a relationship between J.A. Hobson and American institutionalism has often been noted, only a few of its aspects have been examined in any depth. Veblen’s influence on Hobson has been recognised,1 and it is well known that Hobson expended many efforts to develop an English audience for Veblen’s work (Brailsford 1948; Minchinton 1959; Allett 1981). In his own writings, Hobson utilised ideas taken from Veblen’s The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899) and The Theory of Business Enterprise (1904). Indeed, Hobson eagerly awaited the publication of the latter book and immediately incorporated some of Veblen’s arguments concerning business capitalisation and the activities of financiers into the revised (1906) edition of his Evolution of Modern Capitalism. It is also worth noting that Hobson saw in America a ‘model of advanced capitalism’ (Allett 1981, p. 30), and throughout his career Hobson paid close attention to the latest in American economic investigation.
The research for this paper was supported by a University of Victoria Research Grant. This, and the aid of my Research Assistant, Iran Pordeus, is gratefully acknowledged. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the History of Economics Society meetings at George Mason University 1985, during which time many helpful comments were received. Professor A. W. Coats deserves special thanks for his advice. The usual disclaimers hold.
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Rutherford, M. (1994). J.A. Hobson and American Institutionalism: Underconsumption and Technological Change. In: Pheby, J. (eds) J. A. Hobson after Fifty Years. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-23213-0_10
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