Positive Political Theory II

by Austen-Smith, David

• ISBN13: 9780472068944
• ISBN10: 0472068946
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-01-28
• Publisher: Univ of Michigan Pr

Summary

"A major piece of work . . . a classic. There is no other book like it." Norman Schofield, Washington University "The authors succeed brilliantly in tackling a large number of important questions concerning the interaction among voters and elected representatives in the political arena, using a common, rigorous language." Antonio Merlo, University of Pennsylvania Positive Political Theory II: Strategy and Structure is the second volume in Jeffrey Banks and David Austen-Smith's monumental study of the links between individual preferences and collective choice. The book focuses on representative systems, including both elections and legislative decision-making processes, clearly connecting individual preferences to collective outcomes. This book is not a survey. Rather, it is the coherent, cumulative result of the authors' brilliant efforts to indirectly connect preferences to collective choice through strategic behaviors such as agenda-selection and voting. The book will be an invaluable reference and teaching tool for economists and political scientists, and an essential companion to any scholar interested in the latest theoretical advances in positive political theory.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Preface	xiii
1 Preliminaries	1	(18)
1.1 Review	1	(7)
1.2 Decision theory	8	(8)
1.3 Discussion	16	(1)
1.4 Exercises	17	(1)
1.5 Further reading	18	(1)
2 Strategy-Proof Collective Choice	19	(50)
2.1 Strategy-proofness on finite sets	20	(9)
2.2 Application: The amendment rule	29	(1)
2.3 Strategy-proofness and Arrovian aggregation	30	(3)
2.4 Single-peaked preferences	33	(18)
2.5 Application: The amendment rule revisited	51	(1)
2.6 Strategy-proofness in the spatial model	52	(8)
2.7 Application: The issue-by-issue rule	60	(2)
2.8 Separable preferences	62	(3)
2.9 Discussion	65	(1)
2.10 Exercises	66	(1)
2.11 Further reading	67	(2)
3 Implementable Collective Choice	69	(44)
3.1 Mechanisms and equilibria	70	(4)
3.2 The Revelation Principle	74	(3)
3.3 Nash implementation	77	(13)
3.4 Application: Monotonicity of electoral rules	90	(4)
3.5 Quasi-linear preferences	94	(10)
3.6 Application: Collective action	104	(1)
3.7 Discussion	105	(4)
3.8 Exercises	109	(1)
3.9 Further reading	110	(3)
4 Binary Agendas	113	(34)
4.1 Binary agendas and sophisticated voting	114	(14)
4.2 Equilibrium outcomes of binary agendas	128	(10)
4.3 Application: Agenda independence	138	(3)
4.4 Discussion	141	(3)
4.5 Exercises	144	(2)
4.6 Further reading	146	(1)
5 Spatial Voting in Committees	147	(46)
5.1 Issue-by-issue voting in the spatial model	148	(10)
5.2 Application: Committees and cabinets	158	(8)
5.3 Endogenous agendas	166	(18)
5.4 Application: Sophisticated sincerity	184	(2)
5.5 Discussion	186	(2)
5.6 Exercises	188	(2)
5.7 Further reading	190	(3)
6 Legislative Bargaining	193	(60)
6.1 A basic framework	194	(10)
6.2 Bargaining over distributions	204	(17)
6.3 Application: Pork barrel politics	221	(3)
6.4 Bargaining over policy	224	(20)
6.5 Application: Coalition government formation	244	(4)
6.6 Discussion	248	(2)
6.7 Exercises	250	(1)
6.8 Further reading	251	(2)
7 Two-Candidate Elections	253	(80)
7.1 Electoral equilibrium and the core	254	(5)
7.2 Application: Ideological convergence	259	(3)
7.3 Equilibrium in multidimensional spaces	262	(18)
7.4 Application: Progressive taxation	280	(2)
7.5 Probabilistic voting	282	(7)
7.6 Application: Director's Law	289	(4)
7.7 Policy-motivated candidates	293	(8)
7.8 Application: Ideological divergence	301	(3)
7.9 Turnout	304	(18)
7.10 Discussion	322	(6)
7.11 Exercises	328	(2)
7.12 Further reading	330	(3)
8 Multicandidate Elections	333	(58)
8.1 Sincere voting in multicandidate elections	335	(7)
8.2 Application: Comparing electoral rules	342	(2)
8.3 Strategic voting	344	(8)
8.4 Application: Duverger's Law	352	(1)
8.5 Candidate entry	353	(27)
8.6 Application: Duverger and divergence	380	(2)
8.7 Discussion	382	(6)
8.8 Exercises	388	(1)
8.9 Further reading	389	(2)
9 Legislative Elections	391	(28)
9.1 Elections, government and policy	392	(21)
9.2 Application: Representative legislatures	413	(2)
9.3 Discussion	415	(1)
9.4 Exercises	416	(1)
9.5 Further reading	417	(2)
10 Summary and Conclusions	419	(10)
10.1 Retrospective	421	(6)
10.2 A conclusion	427	(2)
Bibliography	429	(16)
Index	445