A Public Choice Theory on the Voting Rights Provisions of Some Constitutions

Abstract

　This paper examine the provisions of some constitutions on voting rights. If we remove Buchanan-Tullocks two suppositions on voting rights, and think the range of qualified voters as a variable, then changing the value of this variable will have an influence on interdependence costs of people. So, it is reasonable to entrust the task to select the range of qualified voters to the legislature, in making an optimal reaction to exogenous changes immediately. On the other hand, because people in the legislative stage have two different incentives to reduce the range of qualified voters, and to choose specific attributes as criteria to be given voting rights, it is necessary to protect other people from them. The condition that such a protection is given could be thought along Muellers theory.