Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2005
Abstract
It is commonplace to view market agents as self-interested knaves, while government agents are either as knaves or public-spirited angels. What are the consequences of these different motivational assumptions in modeling governmental and market behavior? We compare David Hume, James M. Buchanan, and Richard Musgrave. We claim that Hume, the only one thinking consistently in terms of the worst-case, offers a second best solution for both the government and the economy, which may turn out to be the best possible solution given human nature. Because of the reciprocal check, two knaves are better than one. More is preferred to less even with vices…
DOI
10.1215/00182702-37-Suppl_1-71
Publisher
Duke University Press
City
Durham, NC
Repository Citation
Farrant, A., & Paganelli, M. P. (2005). Are two knaves better than one? Hume, Buchanan, and Musgrave on economics and government. History of Political Economy, 37(Suppl.1), 71-90. https://doi.org/10.1215/00182702-37-Suppl_1-71
Publication Information
History of Political Economy
Comments
Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1316594