Pollsters and economists have much to say about how to discover and measure public preferences. Fiscal policy—including the setting of the overall size of public budgets—could be made more democratic by integrating the approaches of both groups.

Earl R. Brubaker is professor emeritus at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey.
DemocracyEconomyFederal Budget PolicyFederal Tax PolicyFiscal Policy/DebtGovernment and PoliticsPhilosophy and ReligionPublic ChoiceState and Local Fiscal PolicyTaxesTaxes and Budget
Other Independent Review articles by Earl R. Brubaker
Winter 1996/97 The Tragedy of the Budgetary Commons