Following Their Leaders - Political Preferences and Public Policy

"Policies are designed by the elite and the masses actually have little say. While models of democratic decision-making tend to assume that voters have preferences, and that candidates and parties conform to those preferences, voters instead adopt the policies of those political elites -- they follow their leaders"--

List of contents

1. Introduction; 2. Instrumental and Expressive Preferences; 3. Influences Over Preference Formation; 4. Preference Aggregation Through Voting; 5. The Formation of Political Preferences; 6. Anchor Preferences and Derivative Preferences; 7. Preferences of Elites and Masses; 8. Policies that Maximize Political Power; 9. Patriotism, Propaganda, and the Public Interest; 10. Implications for Democracy.

About the author

Randall G. Holcombe is DeVoe Moore Professor of Economics at Florida State University. He served on Florida Governor Jeb Bush's Council of Economic Advisors from 2000 to 2006, and is past president of the Public Choice Society and the Society for the Development of Austrian Economics.

Summary

Models of democratic decision-making tend to assume that voters have preferences, and that candidates conform to those preferences. In reality, voters adopt the policies of those political elites - they follow their leaders. Policies are designed by the elite and the masses have little influence over them.

Product details

• Authors: Randall G. Holcombe, Randall G. (Florida State University) Holcombe, Holcombe Randall G.
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.03.2023
• EAN: 9781009323192
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0932319-2
• No. of pages: 200
• Series: Cambridge Studies in Economics, Choice, and Society
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Politics and business; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Economic Policy, Political Economy, Public finance, Economics, finance, business and management