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Explaining Self‐Interested Behavior of Public‐Spirited Policy Makers
Author(s) -
Zamir Eyal,
SulitzeanuKenan Raanan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
public administration review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.721
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1540-6210
pISSN - 0033-3352
DOI - 10.1111/puar.12825
Subject(s) - premise , foundation (evidence) , politics , public policy , positive economics , behavioral economics , political science , public relations , public economics , social psychology , sociology , public administration , law and economics , economics , psychology , law , epistemology , microeconomics , philosophy
Public choice theory (PCT) has had a powerful influence on political science and, to a lesser extent, public administration. Based on the premise that public officials are rational maximizers of their own utility, PCT has a quite successful record of correctly predicting governmental decisions and policies. This success is puzzling in light of behavioral findings showing that officials do not necessarily seek to maximize their own utility. Drawing on recent advances in behavioral ethics, this article offers a new behavioral foundation for PCT's predictions by delineating the psychological processes that lead well‐intentioned people to violate moral and social norms. It reviews the relevant findings of behavioral ethics, analyzes their theoretical and policy implications for officials' decision making, and sets an agenda for future research.