—Aarya Kalyankar
FY BSc (2023-27)
Estimated reading time: 6:30 min
Politics is like playing chess, mindful of each step you take. A single mistake could cost you the entire game. What makes politics so difficult to play is the nature of decision making itself. Individuals think of themselves before they think of anyone else, which unfortunately is a fact you can’t deny, whether it’s getting a good place to sit when you’re travelling on a bus or winning an election. Jose Marti, a Cuban patriot and martyr, who became the symbol of Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain, said that, “The first duty of man is to think for himself ”.In any market setting, individuals prioritize their own self interest, a tendency which significantly influences their decision making capabilities.This approach may cause large-scale implications potentially driving away from an optimal decision. Market players strive to optimize their gains by trying to maximize their profit. The intersection of this tendency’s effects on political markets is what the public choice theory attempts to explain.
Public choice takes the same principles that economists use to analyse people’s actions in the marketplace and applies them to people’s actions in collective decision making. Economists who study behaviour in the private marketplace assume that people are motivated mainly by self-interest. Although most people base some of their actions on their concern for others, the dominant motive in people’s actions in the marketplace— whether they are employers, employees, or consumers— is a concern for themselves. Public choice economists make the same assumption— that although people acting in the political marketplace have some concern for others, their main motive, whether they are voters, politicians, lobbyists, or bureaucrats, is self-interest. In James Buchanan’s words the theory “replaces… romantic and illusory… notions about the workings of governments with… notions that embody more scepticism.” James Buchanan is best known for his work in Public Choice Theory in which his work fades away from the idealistic idea of democracy and brings up the realistic approach to the fundamentals of a Democracy. He also was an American Diplomat, Lawyer and a Politician, who served as 15th President of America.
In the conventional “public interest” view, public officials are viewed as benevolent “public servants” who faithfully carry out the “will of the people”. Ideally you will happily spend your entire life under these Public Servants, but it is not so whether it is a local corporator or minister, all of them somehow driven by self-interest, frequently prioritize personal gains over the welfare of the people. Unfortunately we are the ones who elect them.
“The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule” ——H. L. Mencken
H.L Mencken was a famous American writer, well known for his satirical style of writing. He powerfully influenced American fiction in the 1920s.
Why do we elect who we elect? The truth is that we are also the same as the politicians, we vote for the person who we think can benefit us therefore we are also slaves of our own self interest.
By this the task of politicians gets simplified, they use a very simple marketing tactic to win elections. “If you are not the buyer you’re most likely to be the product.” If you’re not reaping the benefits you voted for, you are most likely to be a commodity. In a democracy, the multiplicity of political ideologies is meant to be a strength, not a weakness. However, when these diverse viewpoints fail to find common ground, democracy encounters a glitch—resulting in a system where promises become bluffs, and citizens end up as the product rather than the beneficiaries.In Political discussions, individuals focus on those associated with right or left, neglecting the underlying principles of moral values.
Politicians are exceptions to the law of ‘Diminishing Marginal Utility’. Their marginal utility derived from being in power, winning elections, and money would never decrease. In short they live without Point of Satiety, and the voters are trying to maximise their utility, unaware of the fact that they are actually voting for their self- interest.
Now that you know, the person you are counting on, is actually counting on you sounds scary but indeed a fact.This is actually the crux of Public Choice theory that it uncovers the truth and makes your system two thinking into action. Ultimately it helps us to make better decisions – while voting. Politicians prioritize winning elections, while voters seek leaders who align with their interests, and national interest. Exploiting this dynamic conversation politicians take undue advantage impacting the whole politician landscape.
Thus, Democracy is in danger, Public articulates their demands, Politicians cater to their demands. Unfortunately, both the parties fail to understand what is truly beneficial for the country and it continues for every election period. Elections turn into a kind of sale, with politicians selling promises to the highest bidder, and the things the country truly needs go unnoticed in the background. Not always though Politicians and Bureaucrats are not as bad as you might have started thinking by now. The magic happens when the collective hopes of the people resonate with the genuine dedication of public servants, producing a dynamic force that propels the nation towards prosperity and well-being. For example in the phase of Covid-19, politicians and bureaucrats comprehended the needs of the citizens as well as the nation. Simultaneously citizens grasped the urgency of the situation leading to optimal formulation of policies, implemented, and executed.
This is the magic of Democracy, in the words of H.L Mencken, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.” In a democracy, you can participate, influence as well as enjoy the circus at the same time. Exactly where lies the crux of Public Choice Theory, as an artist’s palette in the canvas of politics, where each person is a painter with their own colours of self-interest. It’s akin to realizing that everyone in political conversations is adding their brushstrokes to the painting of their own dreams.”The real artistry lies in making sure our individual colours blend well together,creating a masterpiece that represents the common good. So, when we understand that our strokes, influenced by self-interest, can come together harmoniously, it paints a portrait of a politics that works for everyone.”