RE: Re: RE: Re: Re: Drazen's new book?
Public choice is simply theories that try to explain the behavior of the state and/or its officials. A good neutral review of the lit -- the standard one, actually -- from a mainstream standpoint is by Dennis Mueller. The better sort of lit gives full play to how the interests of capital influences the state, not just "interest groups" (which in conservative lore often devolve to workers and consumers). It isn't marx, but it can be informative, in my view. mbs Max: Thanks for the note about public choice theory. In truth, if you are talking about theories of the state, I'm more partial to O'Connor and Poulantzas. Nonetheless, I'm curious about your notion that "the executive committee of the bourgeoisie" could also be conceptualized as public choice theory--Buchanan to Marx seems a pretty steep and slippery slope-- unless you are merely saying that politics influences the policy choices that the state makes. Joel Blau Max B. Sawicky wrote: In the public choice area can be found moderateand liberal perspectives. It is true that in the fieldcan be found more Buchanan types, but its notobvious that this makes it more conservative than,say, trade.If you think the state is the executive committeeof the bourgeoisie, than you are a public choicetheorist too.There's a lot of good stuff in the field, IMO. I gota dose of it from people like Mancur Olson andDennis Mueller, who are quite different fromthe Buchanan people. One a these days I maydo a number on it myself.mbs -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Joel Blau Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 6:10 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [PEN-L:16180] Re: Re: Drazen's new book?Sure, but from the blurb, this book looks like more than simple public choice theory. "He proposes that conflict or heterogeneity of interests should be the field's essential organizing principle, because political questions arise only when people disagree over which economic policies should be enacted or how economic costs and benefits should be distributed." The "interests" are certainly there, but the tone of the blurb (and it may be inaccurate or incomplete) sounds more synthesized and middle of the road than classic Buchanan. Joel Blau Jim Devine wrote: In the new Princeton University Press economics catalogue, they are featuring a new book by Allan Drazen entitled Political Economy in Macroeconomics. Does anyone know anything about this book? Does it represent an attempt to reclaim "political economy" from the left? I don't know that book (and would be interested in hearing about it), but political economy was "rescued" from the left a long time ago, by people like James Buchanan and the Virginia school.Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://liberalarts.lmu.edu/~jdevine
Re: RE: Re: Re: Drazen's new book?
Max: Thanks for the note about public choice theory. In truth, if you are talking about theories of the state, I'm more partial to O'Connor and Poulantzas. Nonetheless, I'm curious about your notion that "the executive committee of the bourgeoisie" could also be conceptualized as public choice theory--Buchanan to Marx seems a pretty steep and slippery slope-- unless you are merely saying that politics influences the policy choices that the state makes. Joel Blau Max B. Sawicky wrote: In the public choice area can be found moderateand liberal perspectives. It is true that in the fieldcan be found more Buchanan types, but its notobvious that this makes it more conservative than,say, trade.If you think the state is the executive committeeof the bourgeoisie, than you are a public choicetheorist too.There's a lot of good stuff in the field, IMO. I gota dose of it from people like Mancur Olson andDennis Mueller, who are quite different fromthe Buchanan people. One a these days I maydo a number on it myself.mbs-Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Joel Blau Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 6:10 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [PEN-L:16180] Re: Re: Drazen's new book?Sure, but from the blurb, this book looks like more than simple public choice theory. "He proposes that conflict or heterogeneity of interests should be the field's essential organizing principle, because political questions arise only when people disagree over which economic policies should be enacted or how economic costs and benefits should be distributed." The "interests" are certainly there, but the tone of the blurb (and it may be inaccurate or incomplete) sounds more synthesized and middle of the road than classic Buchanan. Joel Blau Jim Devine wrote: In the new Princeton University Press economics catalogue, they are featuring a new book by Allan Drazen entitled Political Economy in Macroeconomics. Does anyone know anything about this book? Does it represent an attempt to reclaim "political economy" from the left? I don't know that book (and would be interested in hearing about it), but political economy was "rescued" from the left a long time ago, by people like James Buchanan and the Virginia school.Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://liberalarts.lmu.edu/~jdevine
Re: Re: Drazen's new book?
What do you mean by political economy was rescued from the left by James Buchanan and the Virginia School. Warm regardsGeorge Pennefather Be free to check out our Communist Think-Tank web site athttp://homepage.eircom.net/~beprepared/ Be free to subscribe to our Communist Think-Tank mailing community bysimply placing subscribe in the body of the message at the following address:mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ? In the new Princeton University Press economics catalogue, they are featuring a new book by Allan Drazen entitled Political Economy in Macroeconomics. Does anyone know anything about this book? Does it represent an attempt to reclaim "political economy" from the left? I don't know that book (and would be interested in hearing about it), but political economy was "rescued" from the left a long time ago, by people like James Buchanan and the Virginia school. Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://liberalarts.lmu.edu/~jdevine
Re: Drazen's new book?
In the new Princeton University Press economics catalogue, they are featuring a new book by Allan Drazen entitled Political Economy in Macroeconomics. Does anyone know anything about this book? Does it represent an attempt to reclaim political economy from the left? I don't know that book (and would be interested in hearing about it), but political economy was rescued from the left a long time ago, by people like James Buchanan and the Virginia school. Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://liberalarts.lmu.edu/~jdevine
Re: Re: Drazen's new book?
Sure, but from the blurb, this book looks like more than simple public choice theory. "He proposes that conflict or heterogeneity of interests should be the field's essential organizing principle, because political questions arise only when people disagree over which economic policies should be enacted or how economic costs and benefits should be distributed." The "interests" are certainly there, but the tone of the blurb (and it may be inaccurate or incomplete) sounds more synthesized and middle of the road than classic Buchanan. Joel Blau Jim Devine wrote: In the new Princeton University Press economics catalogue, they are featuring a new book by Allan Drazen entitled Political Economy in Macroeconomics. Does anyone know anything about this book? Does it represent an attempt to reclaim "political economy" from the left? I don't know that book (and would be interested in hearing about it), but political economy was "rescued" from the left a long time ago, by people like James Buchanan and the Virginia school.Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://liberalarts.lmu.edu/~jdevine
Re: Drazen's new book?
In a message dated 00-02-09 16:37:16 EST, you write: In the new Princeton University Press economics catalogue, they are featuring a new book by Allan Drazen entitled Political Economy in Macroeconomics. Does anyone know anything about this book? Does it represent an attempt to reclaim "political economy" from the left? Joel Blau Oh, the term "political economy" is not trademarked. I can think of a half dpzen squarely liberal. nonradical books in political science that have it in their titles. --jks
RE: Re: Re: Drazen's new book?
In the public choice area can be found moderate and liberal perspectives. It is true that in the field can be found more Buchanan types, but its not obvious that this makes it more conservative than, say, trade. If you think the state is the executive committee of the bourgeoisie, than you are a public choice theorist too. There's a lot of good stuff in the field, IMO. I got a dose of it from people like Mancur Olson and Dennis Mueller, who are quite different from the Buchanan people. One a these days I may do a number on it myself. mbs -Original Message-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Joel BlauSent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 6:10 PMTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: [PEN-L:16180] Re: Re: Drazen's new book?Sure, but from the blurb, this book looks like more than simple public choice theory. "He proposes that conflict or heterogeneity of interests should be the field's essential organizing principle, because political questions arise only when people disagree over which economic policies should be enacted or how economic costs and benefits should be distributed." The "interests" are certainly there, but the tone of the blurb (and it may be inaccurate or incomplete) sounds more synthesized and middle of the road than classic Buchanan. Joel Blau Jim Devine wrote: In the new Princeton University Press economics catalogue, they are featuring a new book by Allan Drazen entitled Political Economy in Macroeconomics. Does anyone know anything about this book? Does it represent an attempt to reclaim "political economy" from the left? I don't know that book (and would be interested in hearing about it), but political economy was "rescued" from the left a long time ago, by people like James Buchanan and the Virginia school.Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://liberalarts.lmu.edu/~jdevine
