Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985.

Thèse (M.E.R.) -- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, avec l'Université du Québec à Hull, 1995. / Page 99 manquante. CaQCU Bibliogr.: f. 209-216. Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985. / Also available in print.

This thesis examines the reception, generation, and use of economic ideas in the British Liberal Party during the period between its decline in the inter-war years and its revival under Jo Grimond. It uses archival sources, party publications, and the political press to reconstruct the Liberal Party’s internal discourse about economic policy from the 1920s to the 1960s, and sets this discourse in the context of wider economic and political developments: the ‘Keynesian revolution’ in economic theory and British public policy, recurrent political interest in economic planning, and growing concern about relative economic decline. The strength of the two-party system which developed after the First World War meant that the Liberal Party spent most of this period in opposition, and even in the coalition governments of 1931-2 and 1940-5 Liberals had limited input into economic policy-making. As historians have frequently noted, however, the party played an important role in introducing Keynesian ideas to British politics through Lloyd George’s 1929 pledge to ‘conquer unemployment’, and seemed to anticipate the post-war managed economy in important respects. At the same time, the party maintained a close relationship with the economics profession, and vocally championed free trade and competitive markets. This thesis highlights the eclecticism of the Liberal Party’s economic heritage, and its continuing ambivalence towards state intervention. Although Liberals were early and sincere supporters of Keynesian demand-management policies, and took a close interest in economic planning proposals in the 1920s, 1940s and 1960s, their interventionism was frequently constrained by their internationalism and their support for free markets. Most Liberals, then, were neither unreconstructed Gladstonians nor unequivocal supporters of Britain’s post-war settlement. Rather, successive party leaders sought to integrate new economic knowledge with traditional Liberal commitments, in order to make both a credible contribution to policy debates and a distinctive appeal to the electorate.

SENSTANTI VISUOMENĖ: KONKURENCINGUMO VEIKSNIAI IR PRIEMONĖS EUROPOJE SANTRAUKA Informacinėje visuomenėje demografinių procesų dinamika paspartino senstančios visuomenės procesą ir pakeitė visuomenės amžiaus struktūrą. Technologijų pažanga, globalizacija ir demografinis senėjimas keičia Europos visuomenę ir skatina politikos kūrėjus atsižvelgti į įvairius skirtingų kartų poreikius. Europoje, kurioje labai ryškios senėjimo tendencijos ypač jaučiami socialiniai ir ekonominiai pokyčiai: globalinės užimtumo, kompetencijos bei gebėjimų naudotis informacinėmis technologinėmis stoka, sveikatos, politinės ir bendruomeninio aktyvumo galimybės. Senstančios visuomenės augimas yra kompleksinė problema, kuri pasireiškia nacionaliniu, regioniniu, įmonių ir individualiu lygmeniu. Stiprinant senstančios visuomenės konkurencingumą ir socialinę sanglaudą, remiantis strategijomis kuriamos efektyvios priemonės siekiant kokybiško integravimo į socialinę bei ekonominę politiką. Tezė Europoje senstančios visuomenės problemos sukelia sudėtingus socialinius ir ekonominius pokyčius, kuriuos itin svarbu tikslingai įvertinti ir numatyti, kad būtų galima laiku imtis veiksmų, kurių tikslas – suformuoti naujas realijas, atitinkančias, senstančios visuomenės globaliojo konkurencingumo sampratas. / AGING SOCIETY: FACTORS AND MEANS OF COMPETITIVENESS IN EUROPE SUMMARY Dynamics of demographic processes in information society has accelerated the process of aging society and changed the structure for the age of society. The advancement of technologies, globalization and demographic aging change the European society and encourage the policy makers to regard the demands of different generations. Social and economic alterations are especially felt in Europe where there are very vivid aging tendencies: global employment, a lack of competence and ability to use information technologies, health, possibilities of political and communal activity. The growth of aging society is a complex problem which asserts in national, regional, enterprise and individual level. The effective measures are created by strengthening the competitiveness of aging society and social cohesion as well as referring to strategies in pursuance of integration to social and economic politics. Thesis Problems of aging society in Europe initiates complicated social and economy changes which must be thoroughly appraised and predicted in order to take timely measures aimed at formation of global competitiveness concepts for the aging society which fit to new reality.