This book examines how trade policy is determined in democratic countries, and illustrates how protectionist policies are engendered by political processes that allow groups to pursue their own interests.

The last survey of the rent-seeking literature took place more than a decade ago. Since that time a great deal of new research has been published in a wide variety of journals, covering a wide variety of topics. The breadth of that research is such that very few researchers will be familiar with more than a small part of contemporary research, and very few libraries will be able to provide access to the full breadth of that research. This two-volume collection provides an extensive overview of 40 years of rent-seeking research.

The volumes include the foundational papers,...

Arye L. Hillman There has been much economic theorizing directed at providing the politician with guidance in the design of policies that will amend market outcomes in ways that achieve specified efficiency or equity objectives. It has been common practice in economic models to portray the politician who implements the policy recommendations as a mechanistic individual who behaves as would a benevolent dictator to maximize a prespecified conception of social welfare or the utility of a representative consumer. The self-interest and discretion that is attributed to firms and consumers as...

The last survey of the rent-seeking literature took place more than a decade ago. Since that time a great deal of new research has been published in a wide variety of journals, covering a wide variety of topics. The scope of that research is such that very few researchers will be familiar with more than a small part of contemporary research, and very few libraries will be able to provide access to the full breadth of that research. This two-volume collection provides an extensive overview of 40 years of rent-seeking research. The volumes include the foundational papers, many of which have not...

It has been common practice in economic models to portray the politician as a mechanistic individual who behaves to maximize a prespecified conception of social welfare. The self interest and discretion that is attributed to firms and consumers as optimizing agents is absent from the motives of such a politician. This assumes that economic policy choice is depoliticized. This book recognizes that politicians do not behave mechanistically. Politicians are viewed as self interest-optimizing agents and, thus, the choice of economic policies is politicized. The book provides a broad spectrum of...

This book examines how trade policy is determined in democratic countries, and illustrates how protectionist policies are engendered by political processes that allow groups to pursue their own interests.

This book is a collection of contributions to the theory of rent-seeking, from its very beginning to the present. Researchers working in this field will find it useful to have this text as a reference manual. Volume II deals with rent seeking in practice.

Using a political-economy perspective this book is an introduction to the responsibilities and limitations of government in a market economy

Using a political-economy perspective this book is an introduction to the responsibilities and limitations of government in a market economy