Progress and wealth creation are crucial for society. For when economies fail to prosper, stagnation and social malaise soon follow. Success demands change – and change demands reform. The lessons are all around us. Countries that embrace free-market reforms experience rapid improvements in living standards. This raises the question: Why don’t more nations follow their example?
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Johnny Munkhammar examines the political obstacles to reform and identifies ways round them. He shows why reforms are needed and which direction they should take, drawing on the experiences of more than a dozen reformist countries. Munkhammar also dispels the myth that reform is invariably politically hazardous. Indeed, reform governments have almost always been re-elected – at least once. This book offers hands-on advice to policymakers, and shows them how to turn words into action.

“The art of economic reform is one of the most difficult in modern politics. Most politicians do not understand what they need to do, when it should be done, and in which sequence they need to do it. In this well-written book Johnny Munkhammar provides important answers.”
WOLFGANG MÜNCHAU, COLUMNIST FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES


“Well done! Comprehensive, but clear and understandable - and very useful. Not only to inspire politicians’ commitment to reform but also to help people understand why reforms are good for their country and for them.”
IVAN MIKLOS, FORMER FINANCE MINISTER OF SLOVAKIA


NEWS

Review in Eye on Europe »

The book is reviewed in the pan-European publication Eye on Europe. Among other things, the reviewer points out that the book is “clear and easy to follow”, “pragmatic”, “interesting”, and that it “stands out” from similar books in its focus on practical advice about how to actually implement reform. Read the review here.

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Others Continue the Research »

Three economists affiliated with the EU Commission have used the book as a starting-point for further research into reforms and re-election. They look at 21 OECD countries 1985-2004 and confirm that reformers tend to get re-elected, and they add that this tends to be more likely in countries with free financial markets. Read the paper […]

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Article in Podjetnik »

The Slovenian magazine Podjetnik - “Entrepreneur” - had an article about the book in its latest edition. It can be read here.

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