on economics and democracy

[hudebnik]

This article on Medium points out that the 2008 economic collapse, and lots of other recent economic failures, result from people conducting rational behavior within ground rules that encourage such things, and suggests that the rules have changed in that direction because, since about 1940, public policy issues are debated against a criterion of "is this good for economic productivity?" rather than, as before 1940, "is this good for democracy and civic society?" Ironically, the latter criterion seems to often produce better long-term economic productivity.

I need to follow some of the links in the article to the real academic research.