POLITICAL TRANSACTION COST MANIPULATION - AN INTEGRATING THEORY

This article shows linkages between a broadened transaction-cost theor y of politics and prior studies analyzing governmental behavior such a s agenda control, strategic use of information, cost concealment and c ost dispersion. It develops a model of government manipulation of poli tically relevant transaction costs in order to facilitate both more co mprehensive specification of the determinants of such political behavi or and more accurate assessment of the likelihood and consequences of institutional change. The article presents a taxonomy that classifies conceptually various observed and potential forms of governmental tran saction-cost manipulation.