Skip to main content

Public Choice — Economic Theory of Politics: A Survey in Selected Areas

  • Conference paper
Essays on Economic Psychology

Summary

In this chapter an overview over some selected areas of economic theory of politics (public choice) is given. Politico-economic models are concerned with the interaction between politics and economics and analyze the relationships between voters, government, the central bank and interest groups. One major result from studies of these models is that politicians are often motivated by self interest, for example, they attempt to secure their re-election by applying expansionist economic policy measures before election. Public choice analysis has been widened to cover other aspects, too, like international organizations, and direct investment in developing countries is influenced by political and economic factors. In the next step, particular emphasis is given to compare and analyze alternative political and economic institutions and possibly vectify not only political but also market failure.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alesina, A. & Carliner, G. (1991). Politics and economics in the eighties. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, T.M. & Schneider, F. (1986). Coordination of fiscal and monetary policy under different institutional arrangements. European Journal of Political Economy, 2, 169–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, R.E. (1976). The political economy of US, trade policy. The Bulletin. New York University: Center for the Study of Financial Institutions.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borooah, V. & Ploeg, F. Van Der (1983). Political aspects of the economy. Cambridge: University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borooah, V.K. & Schneider, F. (eds.) (1991). Political-economic modelling. European Journal of Political Economy, 7 (special issue), 435–546.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, G. & Buchanan, J.M. (1980). The power to tax. Cambridge (Mass.): Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breuss, F. (1980). The political business cycle: an extension of Nordhaus model. Empirica, 2, 223–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, J.M. (1977). Freedom in constitutional contract. College Station: Texas A & M University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darvish, T. & Rosenberg, J. (1988). The economic model of voter participation: a further test. Public Choice, 56. 185–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Downs, A. (1957). An economic theory of democracy. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Findlay, R. & Wellisz, S. (1983). Some aspects of the political economy of trade restrictions. Kyklos, 36, 469–480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B.S. (1981). Theorie demokratischer Wirtschaftspolitik. München: Verlag Vahlen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B.S. (1984). International political economics. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B.S. (1984a). A new view of economics: comparative analysis of institutions. Economic Delia Scelte Pubbliche, 7, pp. 3–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B.S. (1985). International political economy. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B.S. & Lau, L. (1968). Towards a mathematical model of government behaviour. Zeitschrift für Nationalökonomie, 28, pp. 335–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B.S. & Pommerehne, W. W. (1983). Schattenwirtschaft und Schwarzarbeit als Folgen des Sozialstaates, In P. Koslowski, Ph. Kreuzer & R. Löw (eds.), Chancen und Grenzen des Sozialstaates: Civitas Resultate (Band 4, pp. 135–153 ). Tübingen: Mohr-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B.S. & Pommerehne, W.W. (1984). The hidden economy: state and prospects for measurement. Review of Income and Wealth, 30, 1–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B.S. & Schneider, F. (1975). On the modelling of politico-economic interdependence. European Journal of Political Research, 3, 339–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B.S. & Schneider, F. (1981). Central bank behavior: a positive empirical analysis. Journal of Monetary Economics, 7, 291–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B.S. & Schneider, F. (1984). International political economy: a rising field. Economica Internationale, 37, 3–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B.S. & Schneider, F. (1986). Competing models of international lending activity. Journal of Development Economics, 20, 225–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gäfgen, G. (1983). Institutioneller Wandel und ökonomische Erklärung, In E. Boettcher, Ph. Herder-Dorneich & K.-E. Schenk (eds.), Jahrbuch für Neue Politische Ökonomie. (Vol. 3, pp. 19–49 ). Tübingen: Mohr-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gärtner, M. (1981). Politik und Arbeitsmarkt: Eine Übersicht über ausgewählte Makrotheorien. Zeitschrift für die gesamte Staatswissenschaft, 137, 252–283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gärtner, M. (1981a). A politicoeconomic model of wage inflation. Economist, 729, 183–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hibbs, D.A. (1987). The political economy of industrial democracies. Cambridge (Mass.): Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofreither, M. & Schneider, F. (1987). Die Erfassung der Schattenwirtschaft durch den Bargeldansatz — Plausible Ergebnisse mittels unzulässiger Methode?. Wirtschaftspolitische Blätter, 34, 99–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hotelling, H. (1929). Stability in competition. Economic Journal, 39, 41–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackmann, R.W. (1987). Political institutions and voter turnout in the industrial democracies. American Political Science Review, 81, 405–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiewiet, D.R. (1983). Macroeconomics and micropolitics. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiewiet, D.R. & Rivers, R. (1985). A retrospective on retrospective voting. In H. Eulan & M. Lewis-Beck (eds.), Economic conditions and electoral outcomes (pp. 207–231 ). New York: Agathon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirchgässner, G. (1984). Optimale Wirtschaftspolitik und die Erzeugung poli- Uschökonomischer Konjunkturzyklen. Meisenheim: Hain — Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirchgässner, G. (1984a). On the theory of optimal government behaviour. Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, 5, 167–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirchgässner, G. (1985). Rationality, causality, and the relation between economic conditions and the popularity of paris — an empirical investigation for the Federal Republic of Germany — 1971–1982. European Economic Review, 25, 243–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirchgässner, G. (1986). Economic conditions and the popularity of West German parties: a survey. European Journal of Political Research, 14, 421–439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirchgässner, G. & Schneider, F. (1979). Politisch-ökonomische Modelle: Theoretische Ansätze und empirische Ergebnisse, In C. Hillinger & M.J. Holler (eds.), ökonomische Theorie der Politik (pp. 86–125 ). München: Verlag Moderne Industrie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lächler, U. (1978). The political business cycle: a complementary study. Review of Economic Studies, 45, 131–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lächler, U. (1982). On political business cycles with endogenous election dates. Journal of Public Economics 17, 111–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindbeck, A. (1975). Business cycles, politics, and international economic dependence. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken Quarterly Review, 2, 53–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magee, S. (1982). Protectionism in the United States. University of Texas at Austin: Department of Finance Series.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacRae, C.D. (1977). A political model of the business cycle. Journal of Political Economy, 85, 239–263.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCallum, B.T. (1977). The political business cycle: an empirical test. Southern Economic Journal, 43, 504–515.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, D.C. (1979). Public choice. Cambridge (Mass.): Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, D.C. (1989). Public choice ii: a revised addition of public choice. Cambridge (Mass.): Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muth, J.F. (1961). Rational expectation and the theory of price movement. Econometrica, 29, 315–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nannestad, P. & Paldam, M. (1993). The VP-function: a survey of the literature on vote and popularity function. Discussion paper. Aarhus: University of Aarhus, Memo, 1993 /3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordhaus, W.D. (1975). The political business cycle. Review of Economic Studies, 42, 169–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paldam, M. (1979). Is there an electional cycle? A comparative study of national accounts. Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 81, 323–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paldam, M. (1981). A preliminary survey of the theories and findings on vote and popularity functions. European Journal of Political Research, 9, 181–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paldam, M. (1991). How robust is the vote function? A study of 17 nations over four decades. In H. Norpott, M.S. Levis-Beck & J.D. Lafay (eds.), Economics and politics: the calculus of support (pp. 138–164 ). Ann Arbor: Michigan University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parkin, M. & Bade, R. (1978). Central bank laws and monetary policies. London (Ontario): Department of Economics, University of Western Ontario.

    Google Scholar 

  • Puchta, D. (1981). Inflation und Deutsche Bundesbank. Konstanz: University Konstanz, Dissertation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pommerehne, W.W. (1979). Gebundes versus freie Geldtransfers: Eine Fallstudie. In C.C. von Weizsäcker (ed.), Staat und Wirtschaft (pp. 147–164 ). Berlin: Duncker & Humblot.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pommerehne, W.W. (1983). Steuerhinterziehung und Schwarzarbeit als Grenzen der Staatstätigkeit. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Volkswirtschaft und Statistik, 198, 261–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pommerehne, W.W. & Schneider, F. (1985). Politisch-ökonomische Überprüfung des Kaufkraftinzidenzkonzeptes: Eine Analyse der AHV-Abstimmungen von 1972 und 1978. In E. Brugger & RL. Frey (eds.), Sektoralpolitik versus Regionalpolitik (pp. 75–100 ). Diessenhofen: Rüegger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramser, H.-J. (1985). Konjunkturtheorie: Elemente und Ansätze einer makroökonomischen Theorie kurz- und mittelfristiger ökonomischer Aktivität. Konstanz: Universität Konstanz.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F. (1978). Politisch-ökonomische Modelle: Theoretische und empirische Ansätze. Kronberg: Athenäum-Vertag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F. (1979). Ein politisch-ökonomisches Modell des Zentral-bankverhaltens bei endogenem Staat. In C.C. von Weizsäcker (ed.), Staat und Wirtschaft (pp. 473–497 ). Berlin: Duncker & Humblot.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F. (1982). Politisch-ökonomische Modelle: Übersicht und neuere Entwicklungen. In E. Boettcher, Ph. Herder-Dorneich & K.-E. Schenk (eds.), Jahrbuch für Neue Politische Ökonomie (Vol. 1, pp. 57–88 ). Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F. (1985). Public attitudes toward economic conditions and their impact on government behaviour. In H. Eulan & M. Lewis-Beck (eds.), Economic conditions and electoral outcomes (pp. 15–31 ). New York: Agaton Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F. (1985a). Der Einfluß von Interessengruppen auf die Wirtschaftspolitik: Eine empirische Untersuchung für die Schweiz. Bern: Haupt-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F. (1986). Der Einfluß von politischen Institutionen auf die Sozialpolitik: Eine positive Analyse. In E. Boettcher, Ph. Herder-Dorneich & K.-E. Schenk (eds.), Jahrbuch für Neue Politische Ökonomie (Vol. 6, pp. 88–102 ). Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F. & Hofreither, M. (1987). The effect of a changing shadow economy on the official economy: first results with a small econometric model. Diskussionpapier. Linz: University Linz.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F., Hofreither, M. & Neck, R. (1989). The consequences of a changing shadow economy for the “official” economy: some empirical results for Austria. In D. Bös & B. Felderer (eds.), The political economy of progressive taxation (pp. 181–211 ). Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F. & Frey, B.S. (1988). Politico-economic models of macroeconomic policy. In T.D. Willet (ed.), Inflation and the political business cycle (pp. 239– 275 ). Durham (N.C.): Duke University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F. & Weck-Hannemann, H. (1986). Schattenwirtschaft: Größe und Entwicklung im internationalen Vergleich. Geld und Währung, 2, 24–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F. & Neck, R. (1992). The development of the shadow economy under tax systems and structures: some theoretical and empirical results for Austria. Paper presented at the ISPE-Seminar “Tax Administration and Tax Policy”. Escorial (Madrid), 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schumpeter, J.A. (1946). Kapitalismus. Sozialismus und Demokratie. München: Vahlen-Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, H. (1955). A behavioral model of a rational choice. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 69, 99–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stigler, G. (1973). General economic conditions and national elections. American Economic Review Papers and Precedings, 66, 160–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, L.H. (1983). The social security reform debate. Journal of Economic Literature, 21, 1425–1465.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Winden, F. (1983). On the interaction between state and private sector. Amsterdam: North Holland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaubel, R. (1986). A public choice approach to international organizations. Public Choice, 51, 39–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weck, H. (1983). Schattenwirtschafi: Eine Einschränkung der öffentlichen Verwaltung?. Bern: Peter Lang.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weck-Hannemann, H. (1990). Protectionism in direct democracy. Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics, 146, 389–418.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weck-Hannemann, H. (1992). Politische Ökonomie des Protektionismus: Eine institutionelle und empirische Analyse. Frankfurt/M.: Campus-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weck-Hannemann, H., Pommerehne, W.W. & Frey, B.S. (1984). Schattenwirtschaft. München: Vahlen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weck-Hannemann, H., Pommerehne, W.W. & Kirchgässner, G. (1987). Abgabenpolitische Ideen zur Eindämmung der Schattenwirtschaft. Diskussionspapier. Osnabrück: Universität Osnabrück

    Google Scholar 

  • Weck-Hannemann, H., Schneider, F. & Frey, B.S. (1987). Zur Politischen Ökonomie der internationalen Wirtschaftsbeziehungen: Der Fall der Direktinvestitionen, In E. Boettcher, Ph. Herder-Dorneich & K.-E. Schenk (eds.), Jahrbuch für Neue Politische Ökonomie (Vol. 6, pp. 243–268 ). Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willett, T.D. & McArthur, J. (1985). Theories of central bank behavior and implication for monetary reform: a constitutional perspective. Paper presented at the Western Economic Association Meetings in Las Vegas. Las Vegas, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woolley, J.T. (1983). Political factors in monetary policy. In D.R. Hodgman (ed.), The political economy of the monetary policy: national and international aspects (pp. 140–164 ). Boston: The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Conference Series, No. 26.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1994 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Schneider, F. (1994). Public Choice — Economic Theory of Politics: A Survey in Selected Areas. In: Brandstätter, H., Güth, W. (eds) Essays on Economic Psychology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-48621-0_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-48621-0_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-48623-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-48621-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics