Planning and the Political Market Public Choice and the Politics of Government Failure

by Pennington, Mark

• ISBN13: 9780485004069
• ISBN10: 0485004062
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-08-01
• Publisher: Athlone Pr

Summary

Pennington argues that enthusiasm for planning as an essential component of environmental protection is misplaced. Drawing on the experience of Britain and other Western democracies, the author uses public choice to explore the practical experience of land use planning as an example of government failure. He outlines the institutional focus of public choice theory, examining the central questions of market and government failure and the theoretical case for government intervention in the environment. Having explored the principal impacts of planning, the book goes on to analyse the institutional structures which have produced these policy outcomes. The analysis suggests that institutional incentives within the "political market" have frequently led to policies, that favor special interest groups and public sector bureaucracy. The book concludes with an assessment of the potential for private property rights, free market alternative to increase community involvement and access.

Author Biography

Mark Pennington is Lecturer in Public Policy at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London

Table of Contents

List of Figures	viii
List of Tables	ix
List of Acronyms	xi
Acknowledgements	xiii
Planning and the Political Market: The Rise of Public Choice Theory	1	(26)
The Impact of Planning	27	(32)
Interest Groups, Collective Action and Planning	59	(31)
Budgets, Bureaucrats and Planning	90	(26)
Planning and the Political Market: Voter-Centred versus Special-Interest Explanations	116	(25)
Planning and the Political of Growth	141	(25)
Land Use Planning: Public or Private Choice?	166	(25)
Notes	191	(7)
Bibliography	198	(11)
Index	209