A Pragmatist Approach to the Proper Scope of Government

Jack Knight

Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), 2001, vol. 157, issue 1, 28-48

Abstract: What is the proper scope of government? In this paper, I argue that efforts to define a clear and distinct boundary for the scope of government are misplaced. This argument takes two forms. First, and primarily, I set out a positive argument for a pragmatic approach. Given the complexity of modern life, a pragmatic approach to government will provide the most reasonable way of institutionalizing the differences between public and private activity. Second, I show that theoretical efforts to establish a clearly defined boundary cannot be reasonably sustained. They run into problems internal to their own justifications.

JEL-codes: A12 H11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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