Skip to main content
Log in

On good government

  • Published:
The Review of Austrian Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Besley’s treatment of principled agents is a major contribution to public choice and political economy. By focusing on politics as an agency problem, he has shown the way to a new generation of research on the interface of politics and economics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. See Blankart and Koester (2006) for commentary on this point.

  2. The inclusion of distributional issues muddies the waters of what constitutes “better policies.” Why not focus on policies with higher net benefits?

References

  • Amacher, R., & Boyes, W. J. (1978). Cycles in senatorial voting behavior: Implications for the optimal frequency of elections. Public Choice, 33, 5–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Besley, T. (2006). Principled agents: The political economy of good government. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Besley, T., & Case, A. (1995). Does electoral accountability affect economic policy choices: Evidence from gubernatorial term limits. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 110, 769–798.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blankart, C. B., & Koester, G. B. (2006). Political economics versus public choice: Two views of political economy in competition. Kyklos, 59, 171–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Congleton, R., & Tollison, R. D. (1998). The political economy of crime. Working paper, 1–26.

  • Crain, W. M., & Tollison, R. D. (1993). Time inconsistency and fiscal policy: Empirical analysis of US States, 1969–1989. Journal of Public Economics, 51, 153–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCormick, R. E., & Tollison, R. D. (1978). Legislatures and unions. Journal of Political Economy, 86, 63–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGuire, R. A., & Ohsfeldt, R. L. (l984). Economic interests and the American constitution: A quantitative rehabilitation of Charles A. Beard. Journal of Economic History, XLIV, 509–519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert D. Tollison.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tollison, R.D. On good government. Rev Austrian Econ 22, 127–130 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11138-009-0076-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11138-009-0076-6

Keywords

JEL codes

Navigation