Self Interest and Public Interest in Western Politics [Paperback]

Is it self-interest or public interest that dominates Western politics? In this book, which combines in a novel way insights from different fields, including rational choice theory, political philosophy, and electoral research, Leif Lewin examines more than two- hundred studies of democracy in action from seventeen countries. He looks at the behavior and attitudes of voters, bureaucrats, and politicians, in turn, and shows that the plausible and prevalent theory that egoism rules simply doesn't match the facts. This intriguing study will be of special interest to students of comparative politics , West European politics, political science, and economics.

The strengths of this fine, concise book are the diversity of areas covered and the author's awareness of the North American, European, and Japanese literatures on all of these topics. I would strongly recommend it to the participants in any of these debates. As a scientist, I appreciate Lewin's insistence onevidenceas he attempts to adjudicate between the advocates of the self-interested and public-interested views. --Comparative Politics