Introduction To Public Choice Theory

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Theory came along, universities did not teach the way politics actually functions but, instead, taught the way it should work ideally or the way they wished it would work. This practice of teaching what should be rather than what is is fairly common at universities and continues to this day at most universities in politics as well as other disciplines. Fortunately, if you look carefully, you can find some universities that teach the facts about politics, to the best of our abilities to understand it, and that discipline is called Public Choice. I should point out that Public Choice is actually more general than just politics, but that is its main emphasis.

Let us examine various aspects of the theory.

o"We do it just for you!", per Ronald McDonald

Well, not really. Politicians do not devote their lives for yours and my benefits anymore than McDonalds does. Strangely, however, many people think so -- including university professors that teach politics and philosophy. The most ...

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recipients of public funds. Coalitions of voters seeking special advantage from the state join together to get favorable legislation enacted. Rather than being particularly needy, these groups are likely to be those whose big stake in a benefit arouses them to more effective action than is taken by the taxpayers at large over whom the costs are spread. In general, individuals with "concentrated" interests in increased expenditure take a "free ride" on those with "diffuse" interests in lower taxes. Similarly, the managers of the "bureaucratic firms" seek to maximize budgets, and thereby to obtain greater power, larger salaries, and other perquisites. Budget maximization results in higher ...

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