Current institutions for public budgetary decision-making create incentives and opportunities that give rise to a pervasive “tragedy of the commons.” More direct participation by the general public in fiscal decision-making can contribute significantly to mitigating this tragedy.

Earl R. Brubaker is professor emeritus at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey.
Bureaucracy and GovernmentEconomyFederal Budget PolicyFiscal Policy/DebtFree Market EconomicsGovernment and PoliticsLaw and LibertyPolitical TheoryPublic ChoiceTaxesTaxes and Budget
Other Independent Review articles by Earl R. Brubaker
Fall 1998 How Big a Budget Do the People Prefer?