An Economic Theory of Democracy First Edition

A must read for anyone studying politics

Expectations met from order to delivery.

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."

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.

The book, when received, had some fraying on the bottom of the spine.

good!

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.

good quality