When a decision is reached by voting or is arrived at by a group all of whose members are not in complete accord, there is no part of economic theory which applies. This paper is intended to help fill this gap; to provide a type of reasoning which will contribute to the development of the theory of tradeunions, the firm, and the cartel; and to provide the basis for a theory of the equilibrium distribution of taxation or of public expenditure. Still other uses of the theory might be not less

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... rtant. For reasons of space we avoid discussion of many points that demand fuller treatment and only attempt to indicate the course of the argument. 1