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Precursors to public choice

Abstract:
This chapter reviews the many appearances, disappearances, and reappearances of axiomatic thought about social choice and elections since the era of ancient Greek democracy. Social choice is linked to the wider public-choice movement because both are theories of agency. Thus, just as the first public-choice theorists include Hobbes, Hume, and Madison, so the first social-choice theorists include Pliny, Llull, and Cusanus. The social-choice theory of agency appears in many strands. The most important of these are binary vs. nonbinary choice; aggregation of judgement vs. aggregation of opinion; and selection of one person vs. selection of many people. The development of social choice required both a public-choice mindset and mathematical skill.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190469771.013.41

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
Politics & Int Relations
Oxford college:
Nuffield College
Role:
Author

Contributors

Role:
Editor
Role:
Editor
Role:
Editor


Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Host title:
The Oxford Handbook of Public Choice, Volume 2
Pages:
798-816
Chapter number:
39
Series:
Oxford Handbooks
Place of publication:
New York
Publication date:
2019-02-11
Edition:
1
DOI:
EISBN:
9780190469795
ISBN:
9780190469771


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
pubs:965467
UUID:
uuid:7a20237a-c7f3-4988-bf86-e2076780e695
Local pid:
pubs:965467
Source identifiers:
965467
Deposit date:
2019-01-21
ARK identifier:

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