In a column in last week's Irish Times economist Jim O'Leary discussed how Fine Gael and Labour might overcome perceived vulnerabilities on taxation policy. At the end of the article he suggested that they adopt a commitment to limit the annual rate of increase in government current spending. He favours such limits "as an economist" because of the budgetary disciplines they impart. He is not dogmatic on the precise limits and suggests that "something close to the expected rate of nominal GNP growth would be a good starting point".
This type of measure is designed to take the "politics" out of important government decisions. The policy studies literature in recent years is full of such anti-political sentiment and is ultimately based on a belief that decisions by so-called non political experts or technocrats are superior to those made by politicians motivated by the short-term considerations of the electoral cycle. The US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank are ofter seen as appropriate models to follow.
Such a view also chimes in with the diminished expectations of democracy itself consequent on the de-emphasis of the involvement of people in the democratic process. People are less partisan than they used to be and are less involved in the political process, either as members or active supporters of parties or even as voters. Over the last couple of decades there has been a decline in the belief of the efficacy of the intervention of politicians, particularly at the level of the nation-state. Instead of popular involvement - "government by the people" - there is a greater emphasis placed on devising appropriate constitutional mechanisms that have the effect of limiting the power of elected politicians. There is a greater involvement of NGOs and an elevated role for the process of judicial review.
There have always been fears expressed by political theorists about the potentially authoritarian consequences of majoritarian forms of democracy and the Madisonian model of checks and balances fits in well with the the constitutional of pluralist forms of democracy that are increasingly favoured. Peter Mair discusses these tendencies in the light of what he sees as the institutional failings of political parties. it's a fine paper and I highly recommend it.
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