Beyond Conventional Economics

‘Beyond Conventional Economics is a diverse collection of eight essays written in honor of public choice legend Geoffrey Brennan. . . There is something here for everyone. . . Eusepi and Hamlin begin this diverse volume with a well-written, informative, and concise introduction. For readers who prefer to pick and choose, Eusepi and Hamlin provide all the guidance you will need.’
– Bryan Caplan, Public Choice

‘. . . our intent in this volume is to give an account of the theoretical endeavours of those who seek to construct an approach to the analysis of political decision making that derives largely from economic theory but also recognises and incorporates other areas of inquiry such as philosophy, more traditional political theory and psychology. This volume presents a critical examination of themes relevant to both human behaviour and economics and political institutions. . . it also offers a state of-the-art tour of new paradigms challenging the dominant economic notion of the individual.’
– From the introduction by the editors

Beyond Conventional Economics presents new original work from leading scholars on the interface between the individual and political and social institutions. The book offers a critique of the inadequacies of the conventional economic approach to politics and a state-of-the-art view of new paradigms challenging the dominant economic notion of the individual. A number of chapters also explore the limits of individually rational behaviour in political decision making – some by challenging the orthodox content of the idea of rationality, others by providing fresh views on the operation of political processes.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding individual behaviour under limited rationality. Thought-provoking and enlightening, this is a unique book documenting a meaningful debate on the limits of rational behaviour inside public choice circles and will appeal to a wide audience of economists, political scientists and public choice scholars.

Contents:
Introduction
Giuseppe Eusepi and Alan Hamlin

Part I: Building Democracy: Aspects of Voting and Vigilance
1. Political Dispositions and Dispositional Politics
Alan Hamlin

2. Expressive Voting: How Special Interests Enlist their Victims as Political Allies
J.R. Clark and Dwight R. Lee

3. Who Shall Keep the Keepers Themselves? On the Moral Foundations of the Separation of Powers
Giuseppe Eusepi

4. A Bouquet of Democracies
Gordon Tullock

Part II: Searching for Stability in Democracy
5. Subjective Evaluation of Alternatives in Individual Voting Choice
James M. Buchanan and Yong J. Yoon

6. Truth Justice and Democracy
Robert E. Goodin

7. Error-Dependent Norms
Philip Pettit

8. The World is a Table. Economic Philosophy Stated Flatly in Terms of Rows, Columns and Cells
Hartmut Kliemt

Appendix: List of Major Works by Geoffrey Brennan
Index