First published in 1965, this is a reissue of the first volume in Professor Meade's highly influential Principles of Political Economy, which aimed to provide an overview of economic analysis in light of contemporary developments in the subject. This volume is based on models of economic systems in which conditions are such as to make possible a state of perfect competition, in which there are no capital goods, in which consumers' tastes, technical knowledge, and the size and composition of the goods are static.