Public choice is simply theories that try to
explain the behavior of the state and/or its
officials.
A good neutral review of the lit -- the standard
one, actually -- from a mainstream standpoint is
by Dennis Mueller.
The better sort of lit gives full play to how
the interests of capital influences the state,
not just "interest groups" (which in conservative
lore often devolve to workers and consumers).
It isn't marx, but it can be informative,
in my view.
mbs
Max:
Thanks for the note about public choice theory. In truth, if you are talking
about theories of the state, I'm more partial to O'Connor and Poulantzas.
Nonetheless, I'm curious about your notion that "the executive committee of
the bourgeoisie" could also be conceptualized as public choice
theory--Buchanan to Marx seems a pretty steep and slippery slope-- unless
you are merely saying that politics influences the policy choices that the
state makes.
Joel Blau
Max B. Sawicky wrote:
In the public choice area can be found moderateand liberal perspectives.
It is true that in the fieldcan be found more Buchanan types, but its
notobvious that this makes it more conservative than,say, trade.If you think
the state is the executive committeeof the bourgeoisie, than you are a
public choicetheorist too.There's a lot of good stuff in the field, IMO. I
gota dose of it from people like Mancur Olson andDennis Mueller, who are
quite different fromthe Buchanan people. One a these days I maydo 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
