Second Reply to Caplan: The Power and the Glory of the Median Voter

Donald Wittman

Econ Journal Watch, 2005, vol. 2, issue 2, 186-195

Abstract: IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE THE LAST WORD. I WILL NOT make a point-by-point counter-argument to Brian Caplan’s Rejoinder (2005b) because doing so would exhaust my patience, as well as the readers’ (but probably not Caplan’s). Instead, I will present some general arguments that can be employed in answering a variety of questions. In my response I will: explain why there is a demand for democratic failure theories; predict which voters will appear to act irrationally; explain why evidence of voter irrationality does not imply that government policy is irrational; show why Caplan’s argument that voters are rationally irrational when they vote does not conform with the facts; and suggest empirical tests that might be employed to gain greater insight into voter behavior.

Date: 2005
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ejw:journl:v:2:y:2005:i:2:p:186-195

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