The book "The Great Swing" is inspired by "The Great Transformation" written by Karl Polanyi. The comparison is quite instructive. The "Great Transformation" lead to the welfare society in Europe, after the second world war, in order to avoid a comeback of the crisis and totalitarism as a consequence. The authors of the "Great Swing" observe that this path is no more followed and appeal for a new great transformation at a global level, linking economy and social policy, for avoiding major fractures. Still an ambiguity remains. As the authors have point pointed out, the "Great Swing" corresponds to the ascent of emerging countries, which have strongly reinforced theit position in economic and political terms. Therefore the overall balance becomes difficult to appreciate. Can the present situation be explained by a failure of the liberal policy or by a success of emerging countries through globalization? The lack of vision and anticipation of the policies lead by the old industrialized countries, which are now moving a path which may be fatal for them, seems obvious. Still, the issue of a decline of the previously dominent countries in the North and the West is not analysed , which is one of the limitations of this otherwise stimulating book.
Le titre de l'ouvrage de Jean-Michel Severino, directeur de recherches à la Fondation pour la Recherche sur le Développement International (FERDI) et de Olivier Ray, économiste à l"AFD, est inspiré par celui que Karl Polanyi avait donné à son ouvrage de référence: "La Grande Transformation". "Le Grand Basculement" est donc présenté comme le pendant actuel à l'ouvrage de Karl Polanyi, ce qui en situe l'ambition. La comparaison entre la situation que décrit Karl Polanyi et la situation actuelle est en effet fort instructive. La "grande transformation", c'est celle qui a conduit à mettre en place la société sociale-démocrate et l’État providence après la seconde guerre mondiale, pour éviter de retomber dans la crise et l'arrivée au pouvoir du totalitarisme.
