The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies (New Edition) Book + PRICE WATCH * Amazon pricing is not included in price watch

The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies (New Edition) Book

The greatest obstacle to sound economic policy is not entrenched special interests or rampant lobbying, but the popular misconceptions, irrational beliefs, and personal biases held by ordinary voters. This is economist Bryan Caplan's sobering assessment in this provocative and eye-opening book. Caplan argues that voters continually elect politicians who either share their biases or else pretend to, resulting in bad policies winning again and again by popular demand. Boldly calling into question our most basic assumptions about American politics, Caplan contends that democracy fails precisely because it does what voters want. Through an analysis of Americans' voting behavior and opinions on a range of economic issues, he makes the convincing case that noneconomists suffer from four prevailing biases: they underestimate the wisdom of the market mechanism, distrust foreigners, undervalue the benefits of conserving labor, and pessimistically believe the economy is going from bad to worse. Caplan lays out several bold ways to make democratic government work better--for example, urging economic educators to focus on correcting popular misconceptions and recommending that democracies do less and let markets take up the slack. The Myth of the Rational Voter takes an unflinching look at how people who vote under the influence of false beliefs ultimately end up with government that delivers lousy results. With the upcoming presidential election season drawing nearer, this thought-provoking book is sure to spark a long-overdue reappraisal of our elective system.Read More

from£22.00 | RRP: £12.50
* Excludes Voucher Code Discount Also available Used from £16.53
  • BookDepository

    The Myth of the Rational Voter : Paperback : Princeton University Press : 9780691138732 : 0691138737 : 24 Aug 2008 : The greatest obstacle to sound economic policy is not entrenched special interests or rampant lobbying, but the popular misconceptions, irrational beliefs, and personal biases held by ordinary voters. This title looks at how people who vote under the influence of false beliefs ultimately end up with government that delivers lousy results.

  • 0691138737
  • 9780691138732
  • Bryan Caplan
  • 4 August 2008
  • Princeton University Press
  • Paperback (Book)
  • 296
  • New ed
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If you click through any of the links below and make a purchase we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Click here to learn more.

Would you like your name to appear with the review?

We will post your book review within a day or so as long as it meets our guidelines and terms and conditions. All reviews submitted become the licensed property of www.find-book.co.uk as written in our terms and conditions. None of your personal details will be passed on to any other third party.

All form fields are required.