Letter to N.V. Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers Maatschappij

Title

Description

Annex: manuscript of an article titled 'Centralization and decentralization in economic policy'.

Recipient

Gerwen

Organisation

N.V. Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers Maatschappij

Language

English

City

Amsterdam

Date

1954

Date in document

yes

Formulas or calculations

no

Inventory number

NL-RtEUR_TBCOR01_022N013

7497

Storage location

Specifiek Magazijn

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.15133/ul/tinbergen_sent/7497

Filename

CDM7497_NL-RtEUR_TBCOR01_022N013.pdf

Provenance

Jan Tinbergen

Accrual Method

donation

Rights

CC BY 4.0 - Attribution 4.0 International

Revised transcript

en 18 October 1954
De Heer H.C. van Gerwen,
N.V. Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers Maatschappij,
Postbus 103,
Amsterdam
Zeer geachte Heer [van] Gerwen,
Bijgaand zend ik U een kort overzicht als gevraagd in Uw brief van 15 October. Het Engels zou nog even moeten worden gecontroleerd. Ik laat van mijn kant het ook nog even nazien en zend U binnen een paar dagen de gecorrigeerde tekst. Het is alleen voor het geval dat U haast hebt, dat ik U deze voorlopige tekst ook al zend.
Hoogachtend,
Heer Van Beusekom heeft geen opmerkingen
Centralization and Decentralization in Economic Policy
The problem to indicate the correct degree of decentralization is one of the fundamental questions of organization generally and very much also of economic organization and of economic policy. In a way it may even be said to be the essence of economic policy itself. The problem presents itself in various forms: in international economic policy as the problem of integration and in national economic policy as the question what activities could best be left to individuals, or groups, and what functions should be part of the government's task.
The author tries to indicate what the consequences of less centralized and more centralized types of policy are and on what criteria a choice should be based. The present study therefore represents an attempt to deal more systematically with these questions of economic policy and thus constitutes a further contribution to the "theory of economic policy" offered in volume I of this series.
The author introduces the concepts of [unclear] "supporting", "conflicting" and "neutral" instruments of economic policy, thought to be helpful in understanding the essence of the problem of centralization.
The argument is not only theoretical and general in nature but is clarified by a number of examples, taken from the national as well as the international scene. These examples are of the well-known class of "econometric models", as used in modern discussions; the international model being a simple model of ten countries of equal size and equal structure, but not necessarily equal policies. The examples used enable the author to specify his concepts and to show how his method works. Some tentative conclusions on economic integration are drawn.

annexCount

2

extracted text

18 October 195U
I

De Haer H.C, van derwenp
H,V» iTo^d-HoUandsohe Uitgever»
ïtaarifschappljf
Postbus 103»
itosterdam
Zeer geaohte Heer herwent
Bijgaand aend lic tJ een k o r t oversioht a l e gevraagd i n üw
b r i e f van 15 October» Het Bïngele zou nog ev&a. moeten worden g e contx>oleerd« Ik l a a t van mijn kant het ook nog even nazien «n zend
ü binnen een p ; a r dagen de gecorrigeai'de tekat* 'het ia a l l e e n voor
het geval dat ü liaest hebt» dat i k ü deae vooi^lopige t e k s t ook
a l zend*
Hoogachteatid.

Heer Van Beusekom heeft c
opmerkingen

18 October 195U

Do Hoer H,C« van derwan»
^d-Hollandaohe Uitgever»
tchapioi j ,
103,

B
rzicht alB gevraagd i n Uw
>g even moeten «orden ge*
ook nog even nazien en zend
Ie tekst» Het i s a l l e e n voor
ize voor'lopige telcst ook
tend»

C e n t r a l i z a t i o n and D e c e n t r a l i z a t i o n m Economic
Policy
The problem to indicate the correct degree of decentralization is one of the fundaraental q.uestions of organization
generally and very much also of economic organization and of
economic policy. In a way it iiiay even be said to be the essence
of economic policy itself. The problem presents itself in various
forms: in international economic policy as the problem of integration and in national economic policy as the tiuestion
what activities could best be left to individuals, or groups,
and what functions should be part of the government's task.
The author tries to indicate what the consequences of
less centralized and more centralized types of policy are and
on what criteria a choice should be based. The present study
therefore represents an attempt to deal more sj'-stematically v/ith
these questions of economic policy and thus constitutes a further
contribution to the "theory of economic policy" offered in volume 1
of this series.
The author introduces the concepts of EEHjsEoixKxjuaiiEy
"supporting", "conflicting" and"neu.tral" instruments of economic
policy, thought to be helpful in understanding the essence of the
problem of centralization.
The argrament is not only theoretical and general in
nature but is clarified by a number of examples, taken from the
national as well as the international scene. These examples
are of the well-kno\^!n class of "econometric models", as used
in modern discussions; the international model being a simple
model of ten coiintries of equal size and equal structure, but
not necessarily equal policies. The examples used enable the author
to specify his concepts and to show how his method works. Some
tentative conclusions on economic integration are drawn.