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Conveying the logical consequences of modelling the individual as self‐interested in the public sector bureaucracy is not an easy task. One has to avoid, without dismissing, normative judgments and issues of empirical validity in order to focus on the logical consequence. Illustrating the theory in a memorable way is also difficult. This paper argues thatYes Ministerprovides ideal material for the task.

Constitutional economics examines the individual's choice-between-rules rather than their choice-within-rules. It is, according to James M. Buchanan, a restatement of the classical political economy of Adam Smith. One of its primary normative implications is the need for a fiscal constitution. Given the late eighteenth century intellectual basis for such fiscal constitutions it appears, at first glance, a little strange that the research program does not consider Edmund Burke's 1780 economic constitution worthy of consideration. The most obvious reason for Burke's exclusion from constitutional political economy is that the methodological basis of Buchanan's twentieth century constitutional economics seems almost the polar opposite of Burke's eighteenth century legislator's attempt to introduce a fiscal constitution. However, both methodologies suffer from internal inconsistency in their cases for a fiscal constitution. One of the primary reasons for this inconsistency is that each needs to appeal to ideas more at home in the methodology of the other. Buchanan adapts a quasi-Burke approach by the introduction of ethical norms not consistent with the self-interest postulate, while Burke adopts a quasi-Buchanan approach by appealing to the principle of consent to justify his reform of institutions that have been formed by custom and tradition. Ultimately, the methodological difference is not as great as it appears at first. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that Burke's work deserves recognition in the broader constitutional economics research program because to exclude him on the grounds of methodology is to fail to understand the logical implications of Buchanan's work.

Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Introduction -- The Ladies Dictionary -- Being a General Entertainment for the Fair-Sex: A Work Never attempted before in English. London, 1694 -- Dedication -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- K -- L -- M -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- V -- X -- Y -- Z -- Index

There are two essential elements to this paper. In the first instance, we explore the specific details of revenue and expenditure trends for local authorities over the last decade. The analysis is framed against a longer-term political context of forty years which focuses especially on the weakness of local government in Ireland. Despite an official narrative of financial overdependence on central government, the comparative examination of budgetary records of local authorities reveals considerable diversity in both the revenue and expenditure patterns of authorities across the state. While some authorities are heavily reliant on central government funding, others have a much stronger base of local funding, and indeed the financial crisis since 2008 may have increased these differences. The second dimension to the research is an exploration of the impact of the great recession from 2008 on local government finance in Ireland. Using a framework of new institutionalism, we identify the crisis as another critical moment for local government. We consider the political, economic and administrative variables which have brought local government to a financial crossroads, and we explore the potential for long-lasting financial change in local government, as well as speculating on the nature and outcome of that change.

An important part in the evolution of Mancur Olson's economic thinking was delivered to an Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) symposium in June 1989. The economist who had identified, what he labelled, the disease of institutional sclerosis was now identifying an improved version of the antidote and the circumstances under which the antidote might work. While Olson had previously identified economic understanding as a possible antidote, he acknowledged that he did not know how, and if, it might work. Olson's IEA paper represents the next step. Dr Olson returned to examine the 'patient' (Olson's term) that he previously held up as an exemplar case of institutional sclerosis – Great Britain. His examination revealed that it was a particular type of understanding that was important and that it was only likely to work under particular circumstances.

In this paper we assess whether the UK public finances were sustainable for the period 1919–2001. A robust test of sustainability is presented using a nonlinear representation of the debt–GDP ratio. Empirical evidence supports debt sustainability. Moreover, the exponential smooth transition autoregressive representation is evidence that sustainability is the result of active debt management rather than tax smoothing. The results strongly support the active debt management hypothesis for the UK.