Capital accumulation
Accumulation ( accumulating from Latin accumulare =) is in the classical economics has driven forward by reinvestment of realized surplus value on the market expansion of capital.
According to Karl Marx accumulation has two sides: on the one hand, more and more capital in the hands of the capitalists, on the other side of the workers ever more misery. But it is precisely this keeps capitalism going, because this wage workers are always forced economically to have to sell their labor power to the capitalists for their conditions.
The accumulation may relate to the means of production, ie the constant capital, but also on employment by a part of the value is used to employ more workers. In this case, variable capital is accumulated, so used a part of the value to increase the payroll to employ more workers. However, it is not reinvested the total value added in the rule, but a part of the value is as personal income ( "Revenue" ) of the capitalists expended unproductively, as for luxury or conspicuous consumption.
While overall economic capital accumulation is limited by the value that the individual capital can rapidly accumulate by joins forces with other capitals, merged, other capital takes over or buys. So it comes to a centralization of capital, as in the competition by the big companies the advantages of mass production, the smaller defeat and so not only their average size is constantly growing, but always also reduces the number of firms located. The loan is the purchase of a key tool. The mere becomes larger, the company, so if focused more and more capital in the hands of individual capitalists is called the concentration of capital, in contrast to Kapitalzentralisation in which this growth is further accelerated by adoption of foreign capital.
Crucial element of Marx 's point of view: There are only a commodity whose use-value is to produce added value: this is the work force. Because only labor power is a commodity, its ( re) production is more favorable than the value it produces - in other words, the exchange value of labor power (wage / salary ) is less than the sum of value, which creates its use-value (multi- product); the difference is the added value.
Production, distribution, crisis
If changes effective demand, the production system can be adjusted in several ways: first by the change of use, or utilization intensity of the means of production, second by the medium-term flexibility of factor input proportions, 3 by the long-term adjustment of production capacity by accumulation or Deakkumulationsprozesse.
The neoclassical theory is based on Says theorem and the flexibility of the use of proportions. Marx provides in connection with the introduction of machinery elasticity fixed, a sudden jump in the adaptability that takes place only on the raw material and the market barriers, and is based on his theory of the industrial cycle, after which the industry a " sequence of periods of average activity, prosperity, over-production, crisis and stagnation " passes. As Marx also interrupts with Says John Maynard Keynes theorem; investment decisions be accepted of him, regardless of the savings. Roy F. Harrod and Nicholas Kaldor have then undertaken to extend Keynes's analysis on the long-term dynamic view. Intentions and problems of accumulation theory of Karl Marx will be resumed by the newer growth theory.
Original accumulation
→ Article: Original accumulation
The " primitive accumulation " refers to the process of how capitalism has emerged as a social formation. For this was a precondition that the agriculture of the natural economy went over to production for the market; Here were the peasants engaged in agriculture " released ". In addition, always due to trade relations trade capital was available, it could move under favorable conditions in the commercial and industrial production.