European University Institute Library

Economic politics, the costs of democracy, William R. Keech

Label
Economic politics, the costs of democracy, William R. Keech
Language
eng
Index
index present
Literary Form
non fiction
Main title
Economic politics
Medium
electronic resource
Nature of contents
dictionaries
Oclc number
817921464
Responsibility statement
William R. Keech
Series statement
Cambridge Social Sciences eBooks
Sub title
the costs of democracy
Summary
This book raises and addresses questions about the consequences of democratic institutions for economic performance. Do institutions of accountability inside and outside government through periodic elections produce efficient results, or do they lead to the kind of accumulation of special privileges and protections from market competition that reduces efficiency and growth? Professor Keech suggests that there are modest and bearable costs of democratic procedures, comparable to the agency costs incurred whenever a principal delegates authority to an agent. Democracy, however, does not systematically cause inferior macroeconomic policy detrimental to a population's long-term welfare. Rather, there is a logical circularity among voter preferences, institutions, and economic and political outcomes. This accessible synthesis and sharp perspective will be highly useful for professionals, graduate students, and upper-level undergraduates aiming to understand the relationship between politics and economics.--, Provided by publisher
Content