Are Interest Groups Bogging Down the Political Process?

After looking at the impact of rent-seeking on our economy at some length, I came across this well written book which really applies the idea to the political process. Not only is it a quick read, it is fascinating, particularly if you are interested in politics and the way government functions. Government’s End by Jonathan Rauch describes what ails our government today. Not only is public approval down, but the problem solving capacity of legislators has been diminished. This is all attributable to the rent-seeking behavior of interest groups. As more and more groups form and clamor for more and more favors, the political process becomes a complex network of contradictory regulations which render government ineffective. The incentive structure becomes aimed at seeking a larger share of these favors, and away from being productive. Legislators, as vote seekers, are trapped in this network: to bolster public approval they must grant these favors, but the more these favors are granted, the more impossible it becomes to get stuff done. The economic ideas of Rancur Olsen are articulated in Rauch’s book, and it provides insight, however bleak it may be, to the workings of Washington and the road we may be headed down. I highly recommend reading the book….here are just some excerpts from a few places to get the idea, but it is a quick read, and especially after the election and at a time when the US is so divided it is a wonderful book to read, Democrat or Republican. (If you are interested in reading it let me know, you can borrow it!). If the above link didn't work, try this: http://my.execpc.com/~berrestr/raugov.html#contents