Degrowth and Public Choice: Navigating Private Interests and Power Dynamics for a Sustainable Future

Authors : Sule Gunduz - Ozgur

Pages : 51-64

Doi:10.30613/curesosc.1578157

View : 73 | Download : 47

Publication Date : 2025-05-31

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :This article examines degrowth through the lens of public choice theory. Since degrowth is both a political and economic concept, public choice provides a useful framework for analyzing its various dimensions. Degrowth challenges the dominant ideology of constant economic expansion, promoting a deliberate reduction in resource consumption to restore ecological balance, reduce inequality, and improve collective well-being. However, the article emphasizes the difficulties of implementing degrowth policies, pointing to the self-interested motivations of key social actors: voters, politicians, and bureaucrats. Voters often prioritize their own utility when choosing a party or policy, while politicians focus on reelection and bureaucrats aim to expand their department’s budget. These individual interests often conflict with the broader goals of degrowth, making the transition to a more sustainable and equitable society difficult. The article critically analyzes degrowth from a public choice perspective, underscoring the systemic obstacles posed by inherent self-interest. It also argues that since government outcomes are often the result of the collective actions of self-interested individuals, the public choice perspective has the potential to provide useful insights for degrowthers.
Keywords : Büyümeme, Kişisel çıkar, Sürdürülebilirlik, Kamu Tercihi.

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