Hillock challenges: happiness, revolutions, and democracy

摘要

Gordon Tullock is one of the most important of the founders and contributors to Public Choice. Two innovations are typical "Tullock Challenges'' The first relates to method: the measurement of subjective well-being, or happiness. The second relates to digital social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, and to some extent Google. Both innovations lead to strong incentives by governments to manipulate the policy outcomes. In general, "What is important will be manipulated by the government!' To restrain government manipulation, one has to turn to Constitutional Economics and increase the possibilities for direct popular participation and federalism or introduce random mechanisms.