Politicians, Legislation, and the Economy

Abstract

For several decades, the government sector has been viewed as a productive entity that behaves in an all-knowing, benevolent manner to promote the general welfare by correcting market failures. Recently, several economists have challenged this view, arguing that the behavior of politicians, like that of other individuals, is motivated by self-interest In this book, the interestgroup theory of government is used as the basis for an analysis of the behavior of politicians in supplying legislation and the manner in which they are paid for this activity.