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Positive and Normative Theories of Government

In: The Economic Foundations of Government

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  • Randall G. Holcombe

    (Florida State University)

Abstract

Any discussion of government naturally points toward normative issues because government is the product of collective choice. In the preceding chapters, theories of governments, rights, and individuals’ relationships with each other and their governments were all discussed, but primarily in a positive setting that did not evaluate the desirability of these institutions. Factors that give the government an image of legitimacy were examined also, but from the standpoint of determining whether governments actually would be viewed as legitimate, rather than whether they should be viewed as legitimate. If the exchange model of government that has served as the foundation for the preceding discussion is valid, then at least to some degree the resulting government is a product of the collective choice of the governed. Constitutional rules are produced through some type of collective choice process, so normative issues are always present in the form of examining whether better constitutional rules could be developed. This chapter looks at the link between positive and normative theories of government.1

Suggested Citation

  • Randall G. Holcombe, 1994. "Positive and Normative Theories of Government," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: The Economic Foundations of Government, chapter 11, pages 180-195, Palgrave Macmillan.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palchp:978-1-349-13230-0_11
    DOI: 10.1007/978-1-349-13230-0_11
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