Publisher:
Duke University, Center for the History of Political Economy (CHOPE), Durham, NC
Abstract:
This paper investigates the historical relationship between Wassily Leontief's input-output analysis and postwar development planning from the late 1940s to the early 1980s. Based on Leontief's published writings, archival records from the Rockefeller and Ford foundations, and the proceedings of the first seven international input-output conferences, we analyze input-output as a theoretical framework, an institution-building mechanism, and a policy tool. Throughout this era, Leontief maintained that input-output modeling was an essential quantitative tool to evaluate alternative scenarios for economic development. The history of the Harvard Economic Research Project shows how Leontief successfully framed input-output as a practical policy tool to secure philanthropic and government funding. However, the global diffusion of input-output shows a piecemeal adoption because of data gaps. Ultimately, input-output's enduring success was its integration in national accounting systems.
