From Alexander Hamilton to Junichero Koizumi

We are pleased to announce the publication of our latest book: Common Foundations of American and East Asian Modernisation: From Alexander Hamilton to Junichero Koizumi.

This book is an extensively referenced exploration of the influence outside the United States of the ideas of Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), the US's first Secretary of the Treasury. In it, Ian Austin rejects the position perpetuated by neo-classical economics about the universality of “free market” and “free trade” economics. Austin shows that the US, Great Britain and Germany had all employed state intervention to protect their national interests at various points in their economic histories. Meiji-era Japan, learning from the US and Germany - as convincingly shown by Austin - adopted similar state-driven economic policies to develop rapidly. Post-1945, the same system of state-driven economic planning and execution was crucial in the economic recovery and growth of Japan and its former colonies, Taiwan and South Korea. Thus, contrary to popular belief, Asian countries and the US share common foundations in state intervention to promote economic modernisation.

The book was written over a period of 5 years, and yet its launch in 2009 could not be more timely. The global financial crisis beginning in 2008 has driven states around the world, including “free market” advocates like the US and Great Britain, to take drastic and dramatic interventionist measures. Austin shows that such interventions are not new, and indeed, will continue to be necessary in the future.

The author, Ian Patrick Austin, is an Australian researcher on American and East Asian political economy and currently works for Edith Cowan University, Perth. He is the author of Pragmatism and Public Policy in East Asia: Origins, Adaptations and Developments (2001), Changing Faces of ASEAN (2002), Goh Keng Swee and Southeast Asian Governance (2004) and papers, chapters and bibliographies on Asian and American affairs. Ian has worked in Australian, Singaporean and British tertiary institutions, researching and lecturing on international political economy and management; as well as in international businesses focusing on consultancy, events management, marketing and logistics. He has public policy and electioneering experience from participation in federal, state and local elections in Australia.