Following Their Leaders

Political Preferences and Public Policy

Randall G. Holcombe (Florida State University)

$150.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Cambridge University Press
23 March 2023

Public finance

Series: Cambridge Studies in Economics, Choice, and Society

Models of democratic decision-making tend to assume that voters have preferences and that candidates adjust their platforms to conform with those preferences; however, the direction of causation is largely the opposite. Political elites offer policy platforms to voters, and voters adopt those policies - they follow their leaders. Following Their Leaders argues that policies are designed by the elite and the electorate has little say. Preferences for public policy tend to be anchored in a political identity associated with a candidate, party, or ideology; voters' preferences on most issues are derived from their anchor preferences. Holcombe argues that because citizens adopt the policies offered by the elite, democratic institutions are ineffective constraints on the exercise of political power. This volume explores political institutions that help control the elite who exercise political power and discusses the implications political preferences have on democracies.

By: Randall G. Holcombe (Florida State University)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 155mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 470g
ISBN: 9781009323161
ISBN 10: 1009323164
Series: Cambridge Studies in Economics, Choice, and Society
Pages: 200
Publication Date: 23 March 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Introduction; 2. Instrumental and Expressive Preferences; 3. Influences Over Preference Formation; 4. Preference Aggregation Through Voting; 5. The Formation of Political Preferences; 6. Anchor Preferences and Derivative Preferences; 7. Preferences of Elites and Masses; 8. Policies that Maximize Political Power; 9. Patriotism, Propaganda, and the Public Interest; 10. Implications for Democracy.

Randall G. Holcombe is DeVoe Moore Professor of Economics at Florida State University. He served on Florida Governor Jeb Bush's Council of Economic Advisors from 2000 to 2006, and is past president of the Public Choice Society and the Society for the Development of Austrian Economics.