| Abstract: | In a series of articles and books, John Walker and Harold Vatter extended the arguments made earlier by Evsey Domar that the U.S. economy suffers from chronically insufficient demand that leads to growth below capacity. Their analysis of secular growth complements the well-known writings of Hyman Minsky, who also emphasized the role of the “big government” and the “big bank” in stabilizing an unstable economy over the cycle. Like Minsky, Vatter and Walker argued that U.S. capitalism has evolved through several distinct forms, although they characterize the last one hundred years as a period of secular stagnation. This article will summarize, provide support for, and extend the Vatter and Walker approach, concluding with an examination of some of the dangers facing the U.S. economy today. |
