Politics as a peculiar business : insights from a theory of entangled political economy 1. Public choice and the Virginia tradition of political economy 2. Alternative paths for a theory of political economy 3. Systems theory and parts to whole relationships 4. The logic of economizing action : universal form and particular practice 5. Reason sentiment and electoral competition 6. Parasitical political calculation 7. Societal tectonics and the art of the deal 8. Moral imagination and constitutional arrangement. Economists typically treat government as something outside the business realm a sort of Lord of the Manor . Richard Wagner argues that this is the wrong approach and can ultimately be destructive to capitalism and to society. Modern governments are a peculiar form of business enterprise. They face the same problems as regular businesses such as ascertaining demand and organizing production and act within the system in a way that can lead to a parasitical relationship with the market. Largely rooted in political economy this book develops new theoretical ideas and formulations to explain why democracy is a difficult form of government to maintain. The author explores how and why limited governments can morph into a system of destructive politics and looks at ways to escape this process. This dynamic book will be useful for public choice scholars economists political scientists and lawyers who are interested in political economy in its various guises