Albert Otto Hirschman was an economist and the author of several books on political economy and political ideology. His first major contribution was in the area of development economics. Here he emphasized the need for unbalanced growth. Because developing countries are short of decision making skills, he argued that disequilibria should be encouraged to stimulate growth and help mobilize resources. Key to this was encouraging industries with many linkages to other firms.
His later work was in political economy and there he advanced two schemata. The first describes the three basic possible responses to decline in firms or polities in Exit, Voice, and Loyalty . The second describes the basic arguments made by conservatives in The Rhetoric of Reaction .
In World War II, he played a key role in rescuing refugees in occupied France. Wikipedia
Albert O. Hirschman book The Rhetoric of Reaction
Finally, the jeopardy thesis argues that the code of the proposed chafe or reform is too high as it endangers some previous, precious accomplishment.
The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy (1991), Ch. 1 : Two Hundred Years of Reactionary Rhetoric.
"The Welfare State in Trouble: Systemic Crisis or Growing Pains?" The American Economic Review (May 1980).
Rival Views of Market Society and Other Recent Essays (1992), Ch. 6. Against Parsimony.
The Passions and the Interests (1977) Part I. "How the Interests were Called Upon to Counteract the Passions".
Exit, Voice, and Loyalty (1970), Ch. 1. Introduction and Doctrinal Background.
A taste about which you argue, with others or yourself, ceases ipso facto being a taste – it turns into a value.
Rival Views of Market Society and Other Recent Essays (1992), Ch. 6. Against Parsimony.
