An Economic Theory of DemocracyThis book seeks to elucidate its subject-the governing of democratic state-by making intelligible the party politics of democracies. Downs treats this differently than do other students of politics. His explanations are systematically related to, and deducible from, precisely stated assumptions about the motivations that attend the decisions of voters and parties and the environment in which they act. He is consciously concerned with the economy in explanation, that is, with attempting to account for phenomena in terms of a very limited number of facts and postulates. He is concerned also with the central features of party politics in any democratic state, not with that in the United States or any other single country. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 82
Page 120
... hence this situation may lead to revolution . The political cycle typical of revolutions can be viewed as a series of movements of men along the political scale . Preliminary to the upheaval , the once centralized distribution begins to ...
... hence this situation may lead to revolution . The political cycle typical of revolutions can be viewed as a series of movements of men along the political scale . Preliminary to the upheaval , the once centralized distribution begins to ...
Page 127
... hence they are likely to view personality , or technical competence , or some other nonideological factor as decisive . Because they are not really offered much choice between policies , they may need other factors to discriminate ...
... hence they are likely to view personality , or technical competence , or some other nonideological factor as decisive . Because they are not really offered much choice between policies , they may need other factors to discriminate ...
Page 174
... Hence no government aims at maximizing a stream of in- comes composed of separate incomes for each of many periods . Rather it always organizes its actions so as to focus on a single quan- tity : its vote margin over the opposition in ...
... Hence no government aims at maximizing a stream of in- comes composed of separate incomes for each of many periods . Rather it always organizes its actions so as to focus on a single quan- tity : its vote margin over the opposition in ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abstain alternatives analysis assume assumption axiom basic benefits cause ceteris paribus citizen X coalition competition conclusion cost of voting decision-making democracy Derived from Chapter discount distribution of voters division of labor economic theory economists effect election period electorate equal ernment exist extremist fact favor free information free market gain goals government action government policy government's groups hence ideologies incumbents indifferent individual influence irrational issue Kenneth Arrow marginal cost marginal equilibrium maximize means ment motives multiparty system oligopoly opposition parties outcome Paretian optimum party differential party's pay-off political information political parties position possible preferences problem Proposition rational citizen rational voter real world reason reëlected return from voting scale selection principles social society strategy tion two-party system uncertainty utility functions utility income V. O. Key views vote-selling voting decision welfare Welfare Economics well-informed zero