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. |
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Page 47
... MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS Our analysis has so far been in terms of a two - party system , but its conclusions can easily be extended to a multiparty system . In the latter , a voter follows the same rules as in the former , but compares the ...
... MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS Our analysis has so far been in terms of a two - party system , but its conclusions can easily be extended to a multiparty system . In the latter , a voter follows the same rules as in the former , but compares the ...
Page 127
... multiparty systems , however , are given a wide range ideological choice , with parties emphasizing rather than soft - pedalling their doctrinal differences . Hence regarding ideologies as a decisive factor in one's voting decision is ...
... multiparty systems , however , are given a wide range ideological choice , with parties emphasizing rather than soft - pedalling their doctrinal differences . Hence regarding ideologies as a decisive factor in one's voting decision is ...
Page 134
... multiparty system will try to differentiate its product sharply from the products of all other parties , whereas each party in a two - party system will try to resemble its rival . To illustrate this conclusion , let us compare Figure 2 ...
... multiparty system will try to differentiate its product sharply from the products of all other parties , whereas each party in a two - party system will try to resemble its rival . To illustrate this conclusion , let us compare Figure 2 ...
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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