Neglected Insights on National Accounting’s Development and Agenda: An Appraisal of Value Appropriation from the Critique of Political Economy

The System of National Accounts (SNA) is the framework for measuring economic activity. However, scholars from critical perspectives have noticed the system’s limitations in capturing key economic flows. This paper examines these limitations with a focus on value appropriation flows, such as rents. First, it surveys the theoretical approaches present in the SNA since its inception. Second, it shows how the SNA’s definitions of production and prices entail an identity between value creation and appropriation, thereby hindering the possibility of including those flows in the system. Finally, building upon insights from the critique of political economy, the article proposes extended accounts within the SNA’s framework that incorporate mechanisms of surplus transfers between branches, enabling a more accurate representation of capitalist dynamics. The results contribute to ongoing debates on economic measurement and call for an extension of the SNA’s research agenda. JEL Classification : D30, D46, E01, N01