James Buchanan's Contributions to Constitutional Political Economy, Institutional Analysis, and Self-Governance

19 Pages Posted: 21 Feb 2014 Last revised: 21 Sep 2016

See all articles by Peter J. Boettke

Peter J. Boettke

George Mason University - Department of Economics; Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Liya Palagashvili

George Mason University - Mercatus Center; State University of New York (SUNY) - Purchase College, Department of Economics

Date Written: February 19, 2014

Abstract

We outline the work of James Buchanan and his influence and contributions to political economy, institutional analysis, and self-governance. In addition to pioneering the public choice movement, we argue that Buchanan’s greatest contribution to political economy was initiating the constitutional level of analysis in economics. In doing so, we highlight Buchanan's main emphasis on the elementary principles of economics and how they fit into the broader agenda of economist as teacher and enabler of improving the democratic process; the role of economists as studying exchange; the reconciliation of the economists’ zeal for reform with positive economic theory and how this notion advances the importance of constitutional-making from the bottom-up; and finally, the introduction of the main puzzle in political economy regarding constitutional constraint. We argue that it is in the broader field of development economics and self-governance research that his ideas concerning the “rules level of analysis” can have its deepest impact.

Keywords: James Buchanan, Constitutional political economy, self-governance, institutions, development

JEL Classification: A11, B31, H11

Suggested Citation

Boettke, Peter J. and Boettke, Peter J. and Palagashvili, Liya, James Buchanan's Contributions to Constitutional Political Economy, Institutional Analysis, and Self-Governance (February 19, 2014). GMU Working Paper in Economics 14-09, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2398539 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2398539

Peter J. Boettke

George Mason University - Department of Economics ( email )

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Mercatus Center at George Mason University ( email )

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Liya Palagashvili (Contact Author)

George Mason University - Mercatus Center ( email )

3434 Washington Blvd., 4th Floor
Arlington, VA 22201
United States

State University of New York (SUNY) - Purchase College, Department of Economics ( email )

735 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
United States

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