Drones: Public Interest, Public Choice, and the Expansion of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Hall Abigail R. ()
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Hall Abigail R.: Department of Economics, George Mason University, MS 3G4, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Abigail Blanco ()

Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, 2015, vol. 21, issue 2, 273-300

Abstract: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or “drones” have become a core component of the US military arsenal following September 11, 2001. In much of the literature and public discourse regarding drones, it is assumed that drone policy is created within the broader “public interest.” That is, those who construct drone policy set aside private incentives and other motives to construct policy solely to achieve the goals of US citizens and maximize some larger social welfare function. This paper identifies the conjectures associated with this public interest ideal and examines their accuracy. I find a general disconnect between the evidence and the public interest assumption. In several cases, the evidence directly contradicts the assumption of public interest. In light of these findings I offer an alternative analytical framework, the “public choice” framework to adjudicate between observed realities and stated goals.

Keywords: political economy; public interest; public choice; drones; unmanned aerial vehicles (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 D73 H56 P16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1515/peps-2014-0043

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