The Calculus of Consent and Constitutional Design

The Calculus of Consent and Constitutional Design PDF Author: Keith Dougherty
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387981713
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 124

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Book Description
Buchanan and Tullock’s seminal work, The Calculus of Consent, linked economic methodology to substantive questions in political science. Among the major contributions of their book is a connection between constitutional decision making and contractarianism, a philosophical tradition that proponents believe can give institutions legitimacy. In other words, a major contribution of their book is a clear connection between empirical decision making and normative principles. The current book formalizes and extends their foundational ideas as it attempts to show how economic and philosophical arguments about the "best" voting rules can be used to improve constitutional design. It informs debates about constitutional political economy in comparative politics, democratic theory, and public choice. Political scientists often ask questions about what causes a nation to seek a new constitution, how constitutions are made, and what factors allow for corrupt decision making. The Calculus of Consent and Constitutional Design bridges the gap between normative questions about which institutions are most efficient and fair and empirical questions about how constitutions are formed. This provides a benchmark to help create better constitutions and informs empirical research about what institutions are most likely to succeed. The book begins by showing how contractarian ideals can be used to justify choices about decision-making. It then carefully defines several concepts employed by Buchanan and Tullock and shows why the relationships between these concepts may not be as closely linked as Buchanan and Tullock first thought. This provides a backdrop for analyzing the three phases of constitutional decision-making: 1) the constitutional phase, where rules for constitutional decision making must be justified; 2) the legislative phase, where the optimal k-majority rule is analyzed; and 3) the electoral phase, where the optimal voting rule for large electorates and open alternatives are determined. These phases differ by context and sources of legitimacy. Computational models and analytic techniques are introduced in each of these chapters. Finally, the book concludes with statements about the significance of the research for the creation of constitutions more broadly.

The Calculus of Consent and Constitutional Design

The Calculus of Consent and Constitutional Design PDF Author: Keith Dougherty
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387981713
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 124

Get Book Here

Book Description
Buchanan and Tullock’s seminal work, The Calculus of Consent, linked economic methodology to substantive questions in political science. Among the major contributions of their book is a connection between constitutional decision making and contractarianism, a philosophical tradition that proponents believe can give institutions legitimacy. In other words, a major contribution of their book is a clear connection between empirical decision making and normative principles. The current book formalizes and extends their foundational ideas as it attempts to show how economic and philosophical arguments about the "best" voting rules can be used to improve constitutional design. It informs debates about constitutional political economy in comparative politics, democratic theory, and public choice. Political scientists often ask questions about what causes a nation to seek a new constitution, how constitutions are made, and what factors allow for corrupt decision making. The Calculus of Consent and Constitutional Design bridges the gap between normative questions about which institutions are most efficient and fair and empirical questions about how constitutions are formed. This provides a benchmark to help create better constitutions and informs empirical research about what institutions are most likely to succeed. The book begins by showing how contractarian ideals can be used to justify choices about decision-making. It then carefully defines several concepts employed by Buchanan and Tullock and shows why the relationships between these concepts may not be as closely linked as Buchanan and Tullock first thought. This provides a backdrop for analyzing the three phases of constitutional decision-making: 1) the constitutional phase, where rules for constitutional decision making must be justified; 2) the legislative phase, where the optimal k-majority rule is analyzed; and 3) the electoral phase, where the optimal voting rule for large electorates and open alternatives are determined. These phases differ by context and sources of legitimacy. Computational models and analytic techniques are introduced in each of these chapters. Finally, the book concludes with statements about the significance of the research for the creation of constitutions more broadly.

The Calculus of Consent

The Calculus of Consent PDF Author: James M. Buchanan
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 9780472061006
Category : Decision-making
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
A scientific study of the political and economic factors influencing democratic decision making

Principles of Constitutional Design

Principles of Constitutional Design PDF Author: Donald S. Lutz
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139460552
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 251

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Book Description
This book is written for anyone, anywhere sitting down to write a constitution. The book is designed to be educative for even those not engaged directly in constitutional design but who would like to come to a better understanding of the nature and problems of constitutionalism and its fundamental building blocks - especially popular sovereignty and the separation of powers. Rather than a 'how-to-do-it' book that explains what to do in the sense of where one should end up, it instead explains where to begin - how to go about thinking about constitutions and constitutional design before sitting down to write anything. Still, it is possible, using the detailed indexes found in the book, to determine the level of popular sovereignty one has designed into a proposed constitution and how to balance it with an approximate, appropriate level of separation of powers to enhance long-term stability.

The Reason of Rules

The Reason of Rules PDF Author: Geoffrey Brennan
Publisher: Collected Works of James M. Bu
ISBN: 9780865972315
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
In his foreword, Robert D Tollison identifies the main objective of Geoffrey Brennan and James M Buchanan's THE REASON OF RULES: "...a book-length attempt to focus the energies of economists and other social analysts on the nature and function of the rules under which ordinary political life and market life function." In persuasive style, Brennan and Buchanan argue that too often economists become mired in explaining the obvious or constructing elaborate mathematical models to shed light on trivial phenomena. Their solution: economics as a discipline would be better focused on deriving normative procedures for establishing rules so that ordinary economic life can proceed unaffected as much as possible by social issues. In THE REASON OF RULES, Brennan and Buchanan sketch out a methodological and analytical framework for the establishment of rules. They point out that the consideration of rules has its roots in classical economics and has been hinted at in the work of some contemporary economists. But the enterprise of applying the analytical rigor of modern economics to the establishment of effective rules is the little-traveled road that bears the most promise. In fact, the basic idea of the importance of rules is a thread that runs through virtually the whole of Buchanan's distinguished career, and it is one of his signal contributions to the contemporary discipline of economics. THE REASON OF RULES is an elaboration of the potential for rules and the normative process by which they can best be devised.

Public Choice, Past and Present

Public Choice, Past and Present PDF Author: Dwight R. Lee
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461459095
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
In 1962, economists James M. Buchanan and Gordon Tullock published The Calculus of Consent, in which they developed the principles of public choice theory. In the fifty years since its publication, the book has defined the field and set the standard for research and analysis. To celebrate a half-century of scholarship in public choice, Dwight Lee has assembled distinguished academics from around the world to reflect on the influence of this monumental publication, and, more broadly, the legacy of its legendary authors. Their essays cover a broad spectrum of topics and approaches, from the impact of public choice theory on foreign policy analysis to personal remembrances of learning from and collaborating with Buchanan and Tullock. The result is a unique collection of insights that celebrate public choice and its visionary proponents, while considering its future directions. ​

Economics in Real Time

Economics in Real Time PDF Author: C. John McDermott
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 9780472113576
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Book Description
A new model for contemporary economic behavior

The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan

The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan PDF Author: James M. Buchanan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780865972520
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
An index to the series "The Collected works of James M. Buchanan."

The Strategic Constitution

The Strategic Constitution PDF Author: Robert D. Cooter
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691214506
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 435

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Book Description
Making, amending, and interpreting constitutions is a political game that can yield widespread suffering or secure a nation's liberty and prosperity. Given these high stakes, Robert Cooter argues that constitutional theory should trouble itself less with literary analysis and arguments over founders' intentions and focus much more on the real-world consequences of various constitutional provisions and choices. Pooling the best available theories from economics and political science, particularly those developed from game theory, Cooter's economic analysis of constitutions fundamentally recasts a field of growing interest and dramatic international importance. By uncovering the constitutional incentives that influence citizens, politicians, administrators, and judges, Cooter exposes fault lines in alternative forms of democracy: unitary versus federal states, deep administration versus many elections, parliamentary versus presidential systems, unicameral versus bicameral legislatures, common versus civil law, and liberty versus equality rights. Cooter applies an efficiency test to these alternatives, asking how far they satisfy the preferences of citizens for laws and public goods. To answer Cooter contrasts two types of democracy, which he defines as competitive government. The center of the political spectrum defeats the extremes in "median democracy," whereas representatives of all the citizens bargain over laws and public goods in "bargain democracy." Bargaining can realize all the gains from political trades, or bargaining can collapse into an unstable contest of redistribution. States plagued by instability and contests over redistribution should move towards median democracy by increasing transaction costs and reducing the power of the extremes. Specifically, promoting median versus bargain democracy involves promoting winner-take-all elections versus proportional representation, two parties versus multiple parties, referenda versus representative democracy, and special governments versus comprehensive governments. This innovative theory will have ramifications felt across national and disciplinary borders, and will be debated by a large audience, including the growing pool of economists interested in how law and politics shape economic policy, political scientists using game theory or specializing in constitutional law, and academic lawyers. The approach will also garner attention from students of political science, law, and economics, as well as policy makers working in and with new democracies where constitutions are being written and refined.

The Theory of Public Choice--II

The Theory of Public Choice--II PDF Author: James M. Buchanan
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 9780472080410
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Book Description
Discusses voting, tax policy, government regulation, redistribution of wealth, and international negotiation in a new approach to government

The Selected Works of Gordon Tullock

The Selected Works of Gordon Tullock PDF Author: Gordon Tullock
Publisher: Selected Works of Gordon Tullo
ISBN: 9780865975415
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
During the past half-century Gordon Tullock continually advanced the frontiers of political economy, most particularly with respect to the workings of representative democracies and of autocracies. This ten-volume series, edited and arranged thematically, brings together Tullock's most significant contributions to economics, political science, public choice, sociology, law and economics, and bioeconomics. Scholars will undoubtedly find the extensive breadth and depth of Tullock's writings enriching. The general reader, as well as the student of politics, and all who love economic liberty, will find Tullock's prose lucid, readable, and sprinkled with wit. His forensic argument is penetrating, compelling, and clear, and his brilliant mind is surprisingly accessible to us all. The Selected Works of Gordon Tullock provides an entr e to the mind of a legend in the field of political economics. Professor Rowley gives a deliberately sparse contextual introduction to each volume, opting to allow the very able and eloquent Tullock to speak for himself. Gordon Tullock (1922-2014) was Professor Emeritus of Law at George Mason University, where he was Distinguished Research Fellow in the Center for Study of Public Choice and University Professor of Law and Economics. He also taught at the University of South Carolina, the University of Virginia, Rice University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and the University of Arizona. In 1966 he founded the journal that became Public Choice and remained its editor until 1990. Charles K. Rowley (1939-2013) was Duncan Black Professor of Economics, a Senior Fellow of the James M. Buchanan Center for Political Economy at George Mason University, and the General Director of the Locke Institute.