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Anthony Downs
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An Economic Theory of Democracy First Edition

by Anthony Downs (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 34 ratings
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This book seeks to elucidate its subject - the governing of democratic state - by making intelligible the party politics of democracies. Downs treats this differently than do other students of politics. His explanations are systematically related to, and deductible from, precisely stated assumptions about the motivations that attend the decisions of voters and parties and the environment in which they act. He is consciously concerned with the economy in explanation, that is, with attempting to account for phenomena in terms of a very limited number of facts and postulates. He is concerned also with the central features of party politics in any democratic state, not with that in the United State or any other single country. I. BASIC STRUCTURE OF THE MODEL. 1. Introduction. 2. Party Motivation and the Function of Government in Society. 3. The Basic Logic of Voting. 4. The Basic Logic of Government Decision-Making. II. THE GENERAL EFFECTS OF UNCERTAINTY. 5. The Meaning of Uncertainty. 6. How Uncertainty Affects Government Decision-Making. 7. The Development of Political Ideologies as Means of Getting Votes. 8. The Statics and Dynamics of Party Ideologies 9. Problems of Rationality Under Coalition Governments. 10. Government Vote-Maximizing and Individual marginal Equilibrium. III. SPECIFIC EFFECTS OF INFORMATION COSTS. 11. The Process of Becoming Informed. 12. How Rational Citizens Reduce Information Costs. 13. The Returns From Information and Their Diminution. 14. The Causes and Effects of Rational Abstention. IV. DERIVATIVE IMPLICATIONS AND HYPOTHESIS. 15. A Comment on Economic Theories of Government Behavior. 16. Testable Prepositions Derived from the Theory.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0060417501
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0060417505
  3. Edition
    First Edition
  4. Publisher
    Harper and Row
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 1957
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    5.25 x 0.75 x 8 inches
  8. Print length
    310 pages
  9. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
34 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Michael Curtin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Worth a read!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Expectations met from order to delivery.
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  • Adnan Khan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant. Probably the first text I can find that ...
    Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Brilliant. Probably the first text I can find that launched the field of Public Choice (at least as far as I know). Easy to understand and use.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Jack Chen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good business
    Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    good quality
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  • Jessica A
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good as a starting point
    Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2002
    Verified Purchase
    Downs is the seminal piece in rat choice voting behavior - and for good reason. A clear understanding of the Downs theories of voting ties together many strands of work and allows for a good framework for scholars who follow him.
    The book is a must read for political scientists and for anyone who wants to understand the voting literature.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Laura V
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2015
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    Fast delivery. Book arrived as expected.
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  • Amazon Customer
    1.0 out of 5 stars More like a mental exercise with no realistic application
    Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Seminal, whatever. More like a mental exercise with no realistic application. People are irrational. They vote for propositions without knowing anything about them. They vote against their "rational interest." Yes information is scarce. Yes there is personal interest in every choice, but it is often only a small fraction of motivation. Duty, the greater good, love of country--these are real things, not just "self-interest." Downs basically discounts huge swaths of motivating forces of action and focuses essentially on cost-benefit analysis. It's ultimately unconvincing. If I wanted to study economics, I would have taken economics. This book takes all of the fun out of the study of politics and government and turns it into a box of sand.

    They should change the title to, "How to Make Politics and Government the Most Boring Topic In the History of the Universe."
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Many books are described as "essential." This one is.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2016
    This is one of the most important and influential books in all political science. So much of what's included has become "baked into" the discipline - it's assumed you understand the arguments and implications of this book in order to grasp the arguments made in later works of public choice, party systems, voting behavior, etc.

    Yes, it was written several decades ago, and in many cases the generalizations it makes are not completely valid. But understanding this book is crucial to anyone wanting to understand the discipline of political science.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Joe
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The book, when received, had some fraying on the bottom of the spine.
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