Planning in Capitalism: Historical and Social Analysis

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Liberal political theory reproduces the dichotomy of politics – economy/state – society in terms of planning - market. Planning is advocated to be a con-scious/collective will, fighting against the unconscious and individualistic characteristic of the market. Therefore, planning is believed to have a reason / intelligence in its own which is immune to the market. However, the planning history of capitalism shows that the genesis and the development of planning lies on the basis of market dynamics, which is the founding mechanism of capitalistic production. In other words, planning, which is claimed to be an artificial intelligence immune to the market by liberals, is a superstructural institution, shaped by both form of production and the socioeconomic development of economy. In this study, planning is claimed to be a historical and social concept. Planning as a unique form of administration is a product of social relations of production. In this context, planning is differentiated in essence in between capitalist and socialist form of production and the form of planning is reproduced on the basis of the capital accumulation process. The difference in terms of essence lies on the func-tionality of planning in each form of production: founding or regulatory function. Essential difference necessitated the re-establishment of conceptual categories on the ba-sis of the concept of planning: planning as a founding function of administration in socialism is categorized as planning as a system; whereas planning as a regulatory func-tion in capitalism is categorized as planning as a policy. Planning system - planning policy, has proposed an alternative methodological perspective against the liberal planning - market dichotomy.

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Political economy of planning , planning – market dichotomy , regulatory function , capitalist planning , socialist planning , central planning.

Amme Idaresi Dergisi

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Amme Idaresi Dergisi