'This is a comprehensive set of essays on myriad facets of public choice by many of the leading contributors in the field. The coverage is excellent and the essays are terrific. I highly recommend this book for researchers and students.' – Todd Sandler, University of Texas at Dallas, US The Elgar Companion to Public Choice, Second Edition brings together leading scholars in the field of political economy to introduce readers to the latest research in public choice. The Companion lays out a comprehensive history of the field and, in five additional parts, it explores public choice contributions to the study of the origins of the state, the organization of political activity, the analysis of decision-making in non-market institutions, the examination of tribal governance, and to modeling and predicting the behavior of international organizations and transnational terrorism. With broad and up-to-date coverage, this second edition will appeal to politicians and policymakers, academics and researchers in public and social choice and political science as well as graduate students in economics, political science and public administration.

Attiat Ott and Richard Cebula have recognised the need to present, in an accessible and straightforward way, the voluminous literature in the public economics arena. Advances in econometric techniques and the spillover of knowledge from other disciplines made it difficult, not only for students but also for lecturers, to accurately find the information they need. This major Companion addresses a wealth of topics common to the study of both public economics and public choice including questions such as: How does one structure the whole spectrum of public finance in a manageable framework? What is Wagner s Law really about and what does empirical testing tell us? How binding is the budget constraint? How encompassing is a dictator s interest? How do veto powers of the executive, institutional structures and regimes affect public sector outcomes? Do voters behave rationally? Do conflicts yield benefits? Is war cost effective and does secession offer a viable exit option? The contributions, both theoretical and empirical, shed light on some contentious issues in the public economics literature and provide readers with insight into issues that are at the forefront of discussions about the public economy. The empirical analysis utilizes recent econometric techniques to validate or refute empirical findings based on older vintage econometrics. The diversity of coverage ranges from traditional models of the public economy to the incorporation of defence spending as a significant and often neglected function of the public sector. The contributors include many pioneers and leading lights in the field. The Elgar Companion to Public Economics will be required reading for academics and scholars at many levels in the fields of public economics and public choice but mainly graduate and above. The Companion will also be of value to scholars in the wider social sciences in general and political science in particular.

This volume contains a selection of Anthony Downs' essays, written since the 1950s, on politics and political theory. The articles address such issues as democracy, public choice theory, rational political decision-making and political policy.

Using public choice economic methods, this Advanced Introduction presents a focused narrative about political decision-making based on the work that has defined the discipline. Each chapter ends with a Notes section to discuss the research on which the chapter is based, with an emphasis on the pioneering work that has shaped the development of public choice. Randall G. Holcombe emphasizes the theoretical foundations of public choice, with the idea that it offers a context within which empirical research can be understood. This book successfully explores the political decision-making process for readers and ensures that they understand how preferences of citizens are aggregated to produce public policies.

'These valuable contributions will be very useful to students and nonspecialists wanting a clear introduction to specific topics or a convenient volume to browse to get a feel for a broader area of study. A welcome addition to any library.' – M. Perelman, Choice '. . . an excellent short encyclopedia of radical political economies. . . Even experienced scholars could read a number of the entries to refresh themselves or to introduce themselves to new areas of inquiry. Every university and college library should have a copy.' – William M. Dugger, Southern Economic Journal 'Elgar's companions are a joy to read from cover-to-cover. . . The volume is indexed and belongs in every library.' – William M. Dugger, Journal of Economic Issues '. . . this is a worthwhile volume deserving a browse by anyone with radical pretensions.' – Keith Cowling, The Economic Journal This major reference book has been designed to provide a comprehensive coverage of radical political economy. International in scope, The Elgar Companion to Radical Political Economy includes contributions from a very wide range of specialists who discuss topics, ideas and theories in the field. Radical political economy is a term used to encompass a range of different schools of thought. These include post Keynesian, Kaleckian, Marxian, Institutionalist, Sraffian and other approaches to economics which share the common theme of production, rather than the exchange focus of neoclassical and Austrian economics. Their concern with the generation and use of the surplus leads them to an interest in dynamics, income distribution, growth and development, and capital accumulation. With over 100 entries, the companion provides detailed information on a wide range of aspects of radical political economy as well as some important insights into its theoretical underpinning. A special feature of the book is its emphasis upon explaining the positive elements in radical political economy. As the first book of its kind devoted to radical political economy, the companion will be an essential reference source for scholars and students with an interest in the development of economic ideas.

What are the main drivers of political transition and regime change? And to what extent do these apparently seismic political changes result in real change? These questions are the focus of this comparative study written by a mix of scholars and practitioners. This state-of-the-art volume identifies patterns in political transitions, but is largely unconvinced that these transitions bring about real change to the underlying structures of society. Patriarchy, land tenure, and economic systems often remain immune to change, despite the headlines.

Many know the Chicago School of Economics and its association with Milton Friedman, George Stigler, Ronald Coase and Gary Becker. But few know the School's history and the full scope of its scholarship. In this Companion, leading scholars examine its history and key figures, as well as provide surveys of the School's contributions to central aspects of economics, including: price theory, monetary theory, labor and economic history. The volume examines the School's traditions of applied welfare theory and law and economics while providing a glimpse into emerging research on Chicago's role in the development of neoliberalism. A companion in the true sense of the word, this volume surveys a wide body of Chicago economic studies and guides readers carefully through each. The Companion offers biographies of leading Chicago economists and evaluations of the School's connection to approaches to economics that draw from and complement the School, including the Virginia School and the work of Armen Alchian and Edward Lazear. Moreover, this book is a first in many respects as it analyzes the interconnections of the Chicago School's theory, methodology, and policy, and considers by what means and ideas the School's policy framework is driven. The breadth and depth of the insights presented here will appeal especially to students and scholars of economics and historians interested in economics, social science and applied public policy.