Prof. Bryan Caplan

bcaplan@gmu.edu

http://www.bcaplan.com

Econ 849

Fall, 2002

 

HW #5 (not to be graded)

 

1.  "Expressive voting theory 'proves' there is political failure only by failing to count the utility of expression."  Carefully critique this statement.

 

2.  Expressive voting theory seems to predict that local elections will be less expressive than state elections, which in turn will be less expressive than federal elections.  Is this true?  Argue why or why not.  Is there any reason why we should expect this relative ranking to be empirically small?

 

3.  Give one example of expressive voting and one example of rationally irrational instrumental voting.

 

4.  What standard stories of political failure are hardest for Caplan's rational irrationality model to explain?

 

5.  Do Caplan and Stringham misstate Cowen's argument on network industries?  Why or why not?

 

6.  Compare Cowen's argument against anarcho-capitalism to the standard critiques addressed by Friedman and Rothbard.