Tullock Challenges: Happiness, Revolutions and Democracy

13 Pages Posted: 27 May 2011

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: May 2011

Abstract

Gordon Tullock has been one of the most important founders and contributors to Public Choice. Two innovations are typical “Tullock Challenges." The first relates to method: The measurement of subjective well-being, or happiness. The second relates to digital social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, or to some extent Google. Both innovations lead to strong incentives by the governments to manipulate the policy consequences. In general, “What is important, will be manipulated by the government." To restrain government manipulation, one has to turn to Constitutional Economics and increase the possibilities for direct popular participation and federalism, or introduce random mechanisms.

Keywords: happiness, social networks, constitutional economics, random mechanisms, public choice

JEL Classification: D720, H100, I310, P160, D020

Suggested Citation

Frey, Bruno S., Tullock Challenges: Happiness, Revolutions and Democracy (May 2011). CESifo Working Paper Series No. 3460, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1851331 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1851331

Bruno S. Frey (Contact Author)

CREMA ( email )

Südstrasse 11
Zurich, CH 8008
Switzerland
+41 44 380 00 78 (Phone)

University of Basel ( email )

Peter Merian-Weg 6
Basel, 4002
Switzerland

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