Economic Assessment of Election Programmes

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.

Inhalt
I Introduction.- 1. A Day of Reckoning for Politicians or Economists?.- 2. Charting Choices 20032006.- 3. Economic Analysis of Election Programmes: What, How, and Why?.- II Economic Methodological Aspects.- 4. An Economic Perspective.- 5. Macro Models as Workhorses.- 6. Balancing Information and Uncertainty.- III Political Aspects.- 7. Calculated Choices: Who Profits?.- 8. A Rationale for Assessments of Election Programmes.- 9. Food for Politicians, Not for Voters.- 10. The Democratic Quality of Elections.- 11. Agonistic Democracy and the Civilising Virtues of Public Debate.- IV Assessment of Election Programmes: Conclusions for the Future.- 12. The Views of the Political Parties.- 13. Summary and Conclusions.