The Impartial Spectator Goes to Washington: Toward a Smithian Theory of Electoral Behavior

Abstract

When economists pay homage to the wisdom of the distant past (not the most common of professional exercises) it is more likely that a work two decades old is being admired than one two centuries old. Economics is a science, and the sciences are noteworthy for their digestion and assimilation of the work of previous generations. Contributions remain only as accretions to the accepted body of knowledge; the writings and the writers disappear almost without trace. A conspicuous exception to this rule of professional cannibalization is Adam Smith. Since 1776 he has not lacked for honors that have escaped even his most illustrious peers. Who, after all, wears a David Ricardo necktie? So to the author of The Wealth of Nations, all praise!

An experimental study of expressive voting

“…If correct, the theory of expressive voting can help explain why ideology and notions of justice are likely to be of substantial importance in democratic politics (Brennan, 1989;Kalt and Zupan, 1984). It can also explain how in circumstances where economic interest and moral sentiment conflict, democratic politics can generate policies which a majority supports but does not prefer (Brennan and Lomasky, 1985;Lomasky, 1985).…”

The Tea Party Movement and the Geography of Collective Action

“…Movement leaders may be engaged in long-term organization building in specific locations, cultivating news media in certain areas, or looking to build volunteer or fundraising bases. But let us assume that such a geographic dispersion of events is perhaps even suggestive of ideological, programmatic, or expressive motives (Brennan and Buchanan, 1984;Brennan and Lomasky, 1985;Schuessler, 2000, pp. 87--88).…”

Was treibt die Stimmbürger an die Urne? Eine empirische Untersuchung der Abstimmungsbeteiligung in der Schweiz, 1981-1999

“…Beim Versuch, die Idee des expressiven Nutzens zu konkretisieren, haben G. Brennan und L. Lomasky (1985 Die empirische Evidenz ist somit wenig eindeutig. Es bedarf weiterer Untersuchungen, welche die Hypothese expressiven Wählens anhand der Auswirkungen auf die Stimmbeteiligung überprüfen, so wie es G. Brennan und A. Hamlin (1998) vorgeschlagen (aber nicht durchgeführt) haben.…”