Democracy and Decision: The Pure Theory of Electoral PreferenceDo voters in large scale democracies reliably vote for the electoral outcomes most in their own interest? Much of the literature on voting predicts that they do, but this book argues that fully rational voters will not, in fact, consistently vote for the political outcomes they prefer. The authors critique the dominant interest-based theory of voting and offer a competing theory, which they term an "expressive" theory of electoral politics. This theory is shown to be more coherent and more consistent with actually observed voting behavior. In particular, the theory does a better job of explaining the propensity of democratic regimes to make war, the predominance of moral questions on democratic regimes to make war, the predominance of moral questions on democratic political agendas, and the distribution of government resources in democratic systems. This important book offers a compelling challenge to the central premises of the prevailing theories of voting behavior and should serve as the basis for fundamental reevaluation in the field. |
Contents
Ethics politics and public choice | 1 |
The logic of electoral choice | 19 |
The nature of expressive returns | 32 |
The analytics of decisiveness | 54 |
The theory of electoral outcomes implications for public choice theory | 74 |
From anecdote to analysis | 90 |
Interpreting the numbers | 108 |
Consensus efficiency and contractarian justification | 124 |
Paternalism selfpaternalism and the state | 143 |
Toward a democratic morality | 167 |
Constitutional implications | 199 |
226 | |
233 | |
Other editions - View all
Democracy and Decision: The Pure Theory of Electoral Preference Geoffrey Brennan,Loren Lomasky No preview available - 1993 |
Common terms and phrases
agents akrasia alternative analysis argue argument assumption ballot Buchanan candidates ceteris paribus Chapter citizens civic morality claim conception consent consequentialist context cost decisive democracy democratic Downsian economists elections electoral choice electoral outcomes electoral politics electoral preference ethical evaluation example expected explain expressive benefits expressive considerations expressive preferences expressive returns expressive theory expressive voting fact homo economicus Income redistribution individual voters institutional instrumental interests issue Kitty Genovese less logic m-preferences majoritarian majority rule market failure merit mixed strategy motivational normative number of voters one's orthodox public choice Pareto optimality party persons political outcomes political process politicians polls predict principle probability public choice orthodoxy public choice theory question rational ignorance reason redistribution reflective preferences relevant revealed preference role seems self-interest sense significant theory of electoral theory of voting turnout U.S. presidential election voters vote voting behavior welfare economics