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Manipulating uncertainty

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Abstract

Uncertainty about the distributional incidence of policy reforms may, if it impinges selectively on particular subsets of voters, alter the direction of the majority vote. This possibility should be a matter of special concern when subject to potential manipulation by a purposeful agent such as a Leviathan-like bureaucracy. This paper discusses a constitutional defense against such prospect.

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This paper was prepared for a conference on “Constitutional Status Quo and Prospects for Change” held at George Mason University in April, 1994. I am grateful to participants in that conference and to my colleagues at Nova, especially to Mário Páscoa, for their comments and criticisms. I also benefited from comments of an anonymous referee. Responsibility for errors remains with me.

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Barbosa, A.S.P. Manipulating uncertainty. Constit Polit Econ 5, 255–271 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02393260

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02393260

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