Self Interest and Public Interest in Western Politics - Couverture rigide

Lewin, Leif

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0198277261 ISBN 13 : 9780198277262

Editeur : Oxford University Press, 1991

Synopsis

Is it self-interest or public interest that dominates Western politics? This question has been debated in many fields, and through the 1980s a consensus developed, supported by extensive research, that in their political decisions and actions people are largely motivated by self-interest, not by common good. In this book, combining in a novel way insights from different fields, including rational choice theory, political philosophy, and electoral research, Leif Lewin examines more than two hundred studies of democracy in action from seventeen countries. He looks at the behaviour and attitudes of voters, bureaucrats, and politicians in turn, and challenges the accepted wisdom. In his wide-ranging review of the literature he shows that people are in fact actuated by broader considerations than their own short-sighted interests: that they act politically 'in the shadow of the future'; that they find there are overwhelming reasons to try to contribute to the long-term common good. Professor Lewin shows, in short, that the plausible and prevalent theory that egoism rules simply don't match the facts.

A propos du livre

Revue de presse

`This series provides a welcome and much needed boost for a more analytical and theoretically informed treatment of west European politics. Professor Patrick Dunleavy

`thorough and balanced' Political Studies

'The book is an extended literature review but, as the judgements indicate, a review with a bite. It is written in an accessible and non-technical style, and will prove invaluable in introducing students on comparative politics courses to the world of rational choice. The sharp judgements it offers also make it an independently valuable addition to the literature.' Michael Moran, Victoria University of Manchester, West European Politics, Vol. 15, No. 1, January 1992

`The strengths of this fine, concise book are the diversity of areas covered and the author's awareness of the North American, European, and Japanese literatures on all of these topics. I would strongly recommend it to the participants in any of these debates.' Comparative Politics

`This book may certainly be useful for students who need an introductory review of some important empirical literature. In this sense, it could be a very useful text for an upper-level undergraduate course in empirical political behaviors or political philosophy.' Public Choice

`useful for both students and beginners who want a first contact with the problem and its classic literature' Public Choice

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Oxford University Press
• Date d'édition: 1991
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0198277261
• ISBN 13: 9780198277262
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 152
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: Ufficio Anagrafiche Messaggerie; ufficio.anagrafiche@meli.it; ; Via Verdi, 8; Assago Milano; 20090; Italie