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ABSTRACT
Self-Interest and Public Interest in Western Politics showed that the public, politicians, and bureaucrats are often public spirited. But this does not invalidate public-choice theory. Public-choice theory is an ideal type, not a claim that self-interest explains all political behavior. Instead, public-choice theory is useful in creating rules and institutions that guard against the worst case, which would be universal self-interestedness in politics. In contrast, the public-interest hypothesis is neither a comprehensive explanation of political behavior nor a sound basis for institutional design.
Notes
1. And this count of 117 is using the relatively generous measure of Google Scholar, which counts syllabi and web references. Using the more accurate measure of Web of Science/SSCI—which counts only published references in professional journals—the total is an anemic 55 citations.
2. For what it is worth, Green and Shapiro (Citation1994) do not even reference Lewin (1991) anywhere in their book. The journal Public Choice at least had the good sense to review the book (Cain 1993), though perhaps predictably the review was not very positive.
3. Smith ([1776] Citation1994, 82): “That full complement of riches, which the nature of its laws and institutions permits it to acquire.”
4. I have noted that it seems unfair that Green and Shapiro (Citation1994) did not cite Lewin (1991). But then Lewin did not cite Tullock (Citation1984), so there may be karmic justice at work.
5. See, for example, Brooks (Citation2006, ch. 3 and 4), which notes that an extremely important determinant of whether, and how much, is donated is the answer to the question “caring for the poor is primarily the job of the government.” People who answer “yes” are much less likely to make charitable donations, and if they do give, they give smaller amounts.
6. This literature is huge, and I will not pretend to review it here. Three issues of Critical Review (vol. 12, no. 4; vol. 18, nos. 1–3, and vol. 20, no. 4) were devoted entirely to this topic.
7. I have some qualifications to make this judgment, having myself worked in bureaucracies ranging from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to administrative jobs in both state and private universities. No one thinks they make too much money, no one.