Economic assessment of election programmes : does it make sense? / edited by Johan J. Graafland and Arie P. Ros.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Graafland, J. J.

Ros, Arie P.

Netherlands. Centraal Planbureau.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Elections--Economic aspects--Netherlands--Congresses.

Elections.

Political parties--Netherlands--Congresses.

Political parties.

Elections--Economic aspects.

Netherlands--Politics and government--1945---Congresses.

Netherlands.

Politics and government.

Genre:

Conference papers and proceedings.

Physical Description:

xi, 155 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Boston : Kluwer Academic, [2003]

Summary:

In the Netherlands, the election programmes of the political parties are assessed for their economic impact by an independent economic bureau. The result of this analysis is published just before the elections take place. In this way, the voter will be protected against political parties that try to win the elections by making popular but unfounded financial promises.

Economic Assessment of Election Programmes contains contributions of several distinguished economists and philosophers who consider the gains of this procedure to society. Does the analysis by the Netherlands' Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) raise the democratic quality of the elections? Can we really be confident in the tools of economics? The last section of this volume states the opinion of representatives of the political parties. This part also clarifies why political parties voluntarily participate in this process and how they perceive the role division between the political party and CPB.

Contents:

Political Parties in the Netherlands xi

1. A Day of Reckoning for Politicians

or Economists? / Hugo A. Keuzenkamp 3

2. Charting Choices 2003-2006 / CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis 7

3. Economic Analysis of Election Programmes: What, How, and Why? / F.J.Henk Don 21

Part II Economic Methodological Aspects 31

4. An Economic Perspective / Frank A.G. den Butter 33

5. Macro Models as Workhorses / J.P.A.M. (Jan) Jacobs, Gerard H. Kuper, Elmer Sterken 45

6. Balancing Information and Uncertainty / Johan J. Graafland 61

Part III Political Aspects 81

7. iCalculated Choices: Who Profits? / S.G. (Fieke) van der Lecq 83

8. A Rationale for Assessments of Election Programmes / Otto H. Swank 97

9. Food for Politicians, not for Voters / Eduard J. Bomhoff, Leo van der Geest 107

10. The Democratic Quality of Elections / Herman H.H. van Erp 113

11. Agonistic Democracy and the Civilising Virtues of Public Debate / A. (Toon) Vandevelde 127

Part IV Assessment of Election Programmes: Conclusions for the Future 135

12. The Views of the Political Parties / Luc van Liedekerke 137.

Notes:

Proceedings from a conference on the CPB analysis of election programmes in the Netherlands held on April 19, 2002 .

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1402073909

OCLC:

51984749