Skip to main content

Rent-Seeking Versus Directly Unproductive Profit-Seeking Activities

  • Chapter

Part of the book series: Topics in Regulatory Economics and Policy ((TREP,volume 1))

Abstract

The rent-seeking literature and the literature on directly unproductive profit-seeking (DUP) activities both focus attention upon individual or group economic behavior of a rational, solipsist nature which nevertheless destroys rather than enhances the resources available to society. As such, both contributions have radically changed our understanding of the positive behavior of political and bureaucratic markets and have shifted many of our views on normative politcal economy. Yet the two approaches differ significantly in important respects, not least in terms of their coherence within the broader framework of public choice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bhagwati, J.N. “On the Equivalence of Tariffs and Quotas.” In: R.E. Caves; P. Kenen; and H. G. Johnson, (eds.), Trade, Growth and the Balance of Payments. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhagwati, J. N., and Srinivasan, T. N. “Revenue Seeking: A Generalization of the Theory of Tariffs.” Journal of Political Economy no. 61, 88 (1980): 1069–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhagwati, J.N.; Brecher, R.A.; and Srinivansan, T.N. “DUP Activities and Economic Theory.” In: D.C. Colander (ed.), Neoclassical Political Economy. Cambridge, Mass.: Ballinger, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, H. G. “Pareto Desirable Redistribution: The case of Malice and Envy.” Journal of Public Economics, no. 2 (April, 1973 ): 173–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, J.M., and Tullock, G. The Calculus of Consent. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1962.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, J. M. Cost and Choice. Markham, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, J. M. “Reform in the Rent-Seeking Society.” In: J. M. Buchanan, R. D. Tollison; and G. Tullock (eds.), Toward a Theory of the Rent-Seeking Society. College Station: Texas A and M University Press, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crew, M. A.; Jones-Lee, M.; and Rowley, C. K. “X-Theory Versus Management Discretion Theory.” Southern Economic Journal, no. 2, 38 (October, 1971 ): 173–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colander, D. C. “Introduction” to D.C. Colander (ed.), Neoclassical Political Economy. Cambridge, Mass.: Ballinger, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krueger, A. O. “The Political Economy of the Rent-Seeking Society.” American Economic Review 64, (June, 1974 ): 291–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leibenstein, H. “Allocative Efficiency vs. X-Efficiency.” American Economic Review (June, 1966 ).

    Google Scholar 

  • Magee, S. P. “Endogenous Tariff Theory: A Survey.” In: D.C. Colander (ed.), Neoclassical Political Economy. Cambridge, Mass.: Ballinger, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mundell, R. “Review of Jannsen, Free Trade, Protection and Customs Union.” American Economic Review, no. 52 (June, 1962 ): 622.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ng, P. “The Social Loss to X-Inefficiency.” Economica (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  • North, D.C. “Three Approaches to the Study of Institutions.” In D.C. Colander (ed.) Neoclassical Political Economy. Cambridge, Mass.: Ballinger, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  • North, D.C. “The New Institutional Economics.” Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics, no. 1, 142 (March, 1986 ).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowley, C. K. Antritrust and Economic Efficiency New York: Macmillan, 1973. Rowley, C.K., and Tollison, R.D. “Rent-Seeking and Trade Protection.” (This volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowley, C. K., and Peacock, A. T. Welfare Economics: A Liberal Restatement. Martin Robertson, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowley, C.K. “Rent Seeking in Constitutional Perspective.” (This volume). Rowley, C. K. “The Law of Property in a Virginia School Perspective.” Washington Law Quarterly Journal, forthcoming (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuels W. J., and Mercuro, N. “Posner and the Efficiency of the Common Law.” International Review of Law and Economics, no. 1, 6 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuels, W. J., and Mercuro, N. “A Critique of Rent-Seeking Theory.” In: D. C. Colander (ed.), Neoclassical Political Economy. Cambridge, Mass.: Ballinger, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stigler, G.J. “The x-istence of x-Efficiency.” American Economic Review (1976). Tullock, G. Welfare Costs of Tariffs, Monopolies and Theft.“ Western Economic Journal 5 (June, 1967 ): 224–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tullock, G. “The Cost of Transers.” Kyklos 4 (December, 1971): 629–43. Wagner, R.E. “Parchment, Guns and the Maintenance of Constitutional

    Google Scholar 

  • Contract.“ In C.K. Rowley (ed.). Democracy and Public Choice. Basil Blackwell, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1988 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Rowley, C.K. (1988). Rent-Seeking Versus Directly Unproductive Profit-Seeking Activities. In: Rowley, C.K., Tollison, R.D., Tullock, G. (eds) The Political Economy of Rent-Seeking. Topics in Regulatory Economics and Policy, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-1963-5_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-1963-5_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-5200-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-1963-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics