CUTTING PUBLIC-EXPENDITURES IN ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL DEMOCRACIES - THE IMPORTANCE OF AVOIDING BLAME

This article examines three conditions for cutting public expenditures across a sample of 16 advanced industrial democracies: intent, abilit y, and need during the 1970s and 1980s. Unlike spending increases, cut s require purposeful action. action. A first condition, therefore, for cutting expenditures is that leaders intend to curb spending. Surpris ingly the results indicate that leftist parties are considerably more effective at cutting expenditures than parties of the light. Indeed, l eaders appear to have most latitude when a feared course of action is considered least likely. A second condition is that of ability. instit utions constrain and facilitate leadership. The degree to which decisi on making must be shared within the executive both helps and hinders b udget-cutting across exogenous conditions. While oversized coalitions may impede losses, they may also facilitate them by sharing responsibi lity for unpopular measures and thus reducing electoral repercussions. Indeed, both party and institutional results point to the centrality of avoiding blame in the loss-inducing process. A third condition for cutting public expenditures involves need. While objective economic in dicators are not irrelevant, the issue of need is largely politically defined.