RE: Re: Re: Drazen's new book?

[Max B. Sawicky]

In the public choice area can be found moderate

and liberal perspectives.  It is true that in the field

can be found more Buchanan types, but its not

obvious that this makes it more conservative than,

say, trade.

 

If you think the state is the executive committee

of the bourgeoisie, than you are a public choice

theorist too.

 

There's a lot of good stuff in the field, IMO.  I got

a dose of it from people like Mancur Olson and

Dennis Mueller, who are quite different from

the Buchanan people.  One a these days I may

do a number on it myself.

 

mbs

 

 

 -----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Joel Blau
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 6:10 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [PEN-L:16180] Re: Re: Drazen's new book?

Sure, but from the blurb, this book looks like more than simple public choice theory. "He proposes that conflict or heterogeneity of interests should be the field's essential organizing principle, because political questions arise only when people disagree over which economic policies should be enacted or how economic costs and benefits should be distributed." The "interests" are certainly there, but the tone of the blurb (and it may be inaccurate or incomplete) sounds more synthesized and middle of the road than classic Buchanan.

Joel Blau

Jim Devine wrote:

 

In the new Princeton University Press economics catalogue, they are featuring a new book by Allan Drazen entitled Political Economy in Macroeconomics. Does anyone know anything about this book? Does it represent an attempt to reclaim "political economy" from the left?

I don't know that book (and would be interested in hearing about it), but political economy was "rescued" from the left a long time ago, by people like James Buchanan and the Virginia school.Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] &  http://liberalarts.lmu.edu/~jdevine