Discusses James Buchanan′s contribution to the important topic of cost‐containment in the area of health care. Historical and ideational in its thrust, it seeks also to make a more general contribution by showing how the methodology of public choice can be applied to a specific issue in...

It is proposed that social economics is in danger of losing its societal significance if economic analysis is reduced to one method only. Recently, prominent economists have emphasised the need to reintroduce the historical method into economic research work. A brief look is taken at some of the...