Public Choice Theory
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-31
CORE DEFINITION
A theory founded by James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock, applying economic methods to the analysis of political processes, assuming that politicians and bureaucrats, like economic agents, pursue their own self-interest maximization, revealing the causes of government failure.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
Analysis of government behavior. Provides an economic perspective for understanding government decision-making processes. In policy analysis, it helps identify the limitations of government intervention, supports constraining government power through institutional design, and improves the efficiency and fairness of public decision-making.
Anchor fast decisions
Using economic methods to analyze political and collective decision-making: politicians, bureaucrats, and voters all act according to their own interests, so policy outcomes are not necessarily socially optimal but are the product of strategic interactions among parties.
MINIMUM ACTION
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%AC%E5%85%B1%E9%81%B8%E6%93%87%E7%90%86%E8%AB%96verified
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