Public Economics and Democracy: The Moral Foundations of Economic Governance

In mainstream public economics, it is tacitly implied that all facets of the public sector can be managed efficiently and fairly by any type of government. By contrast, this book argues that only a democratic government can meet the conditions of legitimacy and economic efficiency, which are consistent with freedom and social justice.

The book outlines the fundamental elements and methods of public economics and exposes the constraints of standard public economics in relation to the legitima...