Economics 410                                                                       e-mail: gjonesb@gmu.edu

Public Choice                                                                         Phone: 314-973-7243

Spring 2008                                                               

Instructor: Garett Jones                                                      

 

Office Hours: Tuesday, 2-4 pm, Buchanan House, 2nd Floor, top of stairs and Wed, time TBD in Arlington.

 

Welcome to the course!  This semester we’ll apply the economic way of thinking to the political process.  The methods we’ll cover are also useful for thinking about any non-market group decision making—businesses, families, non-profit organizations, and the like.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

 

Required Textbooks, available in the University Bookstore: 

 

Shepsle and Bonchek, Analyzing Politics

Wittman, The Myth of Democratic Failure

Caplan, The Myth of the Rational Voter

Birnbaum and Murray, Showdown at Gucci Gulch

 

Course Outline

Unit 1: Prelude: Early Public Choice in Theory and Practice.

Machiavelli, The Prince, Preface and Chapters 15-19, 21-23

http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince00.htm

 

Riordan, Plunkitt of Tammany Hall: A Series of Very Plain Talks on Very Practical Politics, Preface and Chapters 1 and 2.

http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext01/plnth10.txt

 

Quiz on Prelude Readings

 

Unit 2: Group Choice and Constitutions

Shepsle and Boncheck, Chapters 1-7

 

James Madison, Federalist #10.

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed10.htm

 

Buchanan and Tullock, The Calculus of Consent, Chapter 6.

http://www.econlib.org/Library/Buchanan/buchCv3Contents.html

 

            Boudreaux and Holcolmbe, (1989). “Government by Contract,” Public Finance Review.

            http://pfr.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/17/3/264

 

First Midterm

 

Unit 3: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups

Shepsle and Bonchek, Chapters 8-10

 

            Wagner, (1966). “Pressure Groups and Political Entrepreneurs,” Public Choice.

            http://www.springerlink.com/content/v0q638t434k1j463/

 

President Eisenhower’s Farewell Address

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/dwightdeisenhowerfarewell.html

 

 

Unit 4: Institutions in Theory and Practice

Shepsle and Bonchek, Chapters 11-15

 

            James Madison or Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #51

            http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed51.htm

 

Richard Fenno, “The House Appropriations Committee as a Political System,”

http://www.jstor.org/view/00030554/di960925/96p0004s/0

 

Birnbaum and Murray, Showdown at Gucci Gulch        

 

Second Midterm

Unit 5: How Good is Democracy? Behavioral Public Choice

Wittman, The Myth of Democratic Failure

Caplan, The Myth of the Rational Voter

 

Conclusion

James Buchanan, “Public Choice: Politics without Romance,” Policy, Spring 2003. 

http://www.cis.org.au/policy/spr03/polspr03-2.htm

 

Shepsle and Bonchek, Chapter 17

 

I reserve the right to make minor changes to the outline—in particular, I may add a few short (<5 pages) readings. 

 

Honor Code

Please keep in mind that George Mason is an Honor Code University.  All forms of academic dishonesty are forbidden in this course.  I encourage you to work in groups and to study together, but all exams and all homework assignments must be your own work, unless I specifically state otherwise. 

 

Grading

As the outline indicates, you will have two midterms and a final exam, as well as a quiz (probably in the second week) and a book report on Showdown at Gucci Gulch (due just before Thanksgiving).  I will always announce midterms at least two weeks in advance, and I will provide sample questions at least one week in advance.  The final will be largely but not fully comprehensive: I will list the omitted chapters and readings well before the final exam.  You will also have three short homework assignments during the semester.

 

Quiz (1):                      5%

Midterms (2):              25% each

Book Report (1):         10%

Final (1):                      35%

 

Communication

I encourage you to come to my office hours and to contact me via e-mail.  I particularly hope that we’ll be able to use WebCT successfully in this course.   

 

Students with Disabilities

I am happy to make all necessary accommodations for students with disabilities.  University policy states that students who would like to request such accommodations should first contact the Office of Disability Services (993-2474, Sub I Room 222).