Exam 6: The Economics of Political Action

Young John recently took a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His supervisor gave him an assignment and a two-week deadline. He finished the job in three days and turned it in. Now his coworkers are mad at John. Why?

Public choice analysis indicates

Which of the following increases the political power of special interest groups and makes counterproductive government action more likely?

In a representative democracy, government action results from the

The methodology of public choice analysis

Public choice analysis suggests that voters considering whether to vote for a candidate will ask,

Public choice theory indicates competitive forces provide a politician with a strong incentive to offer voters a bundle of political goods that she believes

In which case is the political process most likely to result in the acceptance of efficient projects and rejection of inefficient projects?

Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the imposition of a price floor in the market for corn?

Public choice theory indicates that competitive forces between candidates in elections provide a politician with a strong incentive to offer voters a bundle of political goods that she believes

Special-interest programs are highly attractive to vote-seeking politicians because

Senator Dogood is pushing for the construction of a new military base in his state even though, from the standpoint of national security, it is clear that there are better places to locate the new military base. Economic theory would suggest that Senator Dogood is

Which of the following is true of government activities under a system of representative democracy?

Which of the following is a predictable side effect of increased government activity (e.g., taxes and subsidies) designed to redistribute income among citizens?

John Smith is a typical citizen. Economic theory suggests that he is likely to make a more informed choice when he buys a personal computer than when he votes for a congressional candidate. This view is

Legislation that offers immediate and easily recognized benefits, at the expense of uncertain costs that are in the distant future (such as financing by government debt), is often enacted even when economic inefficiency results. This can be expected because of

Government action will often result in the counterproductive use of resources because

Which of the following is true?

When voters pay taxes in proportion to the benefits they receive from government projects,

Economic analysis suggests that bureaucrats and public-sector managers have a strong incentive to