Public Choice Concepts in Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand's Novel Atlas Shrugged depicts characters that are larger than life struggling to determine whether we will live in a world controlled by politicians or free individuals. Though it is a work of fiction, one can find many economic concepts played out in the novel. Not the least of which was Rand's understanding of Public Choice Economics, which is really amazing when you consider that the field was in its early stages of formal development. However, the basic concepts of public choice have always been understood by economists. Rand's understanding of Public Choice is best illustrated in her concept of the "Aristocracy of Pull." David Henderson has a nice blog post that explains the concept and gives a real world example of the Aristocracy of Pull. To see more on Public Choice concepts in Atlas Shrugged read Bryan Caplan's article Atlas Shrugged and Public Choice: The Obvious Parallels.
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