‘പബ്ലിക് ചോയ്സ്: പാഠം ഒന്ന്’, an e-book published by the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kochi, India, with permission from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), London, United Kingdom, is the official Malayalam translation of ‘Public Choice: A Primer’ by renowned economist Dr Eamonn Butler.

The term market failure is widely used by politicians, journalists, academics, and economics students. However, the discussion often overlooks the limitations of government in addressing such failures. This gap exists partly due to the limited focus on Public Choice economics in mainstream economics education.

Public Choice economics brings realistic insights about human behavior into the study of government and policymaking. It highlights that individuals in the political process—whether elected representatives, bureaucrats, regulators, public sector employees, or voters—often act in their own self-interest rather than purely in the public interest. This perspective challenges the assumption that governments can always ‘correct’ market failures effectively.

In Public Choice: A Primer, Dr Butler presents these complex ideas in a clear and accessible way. The book explains the limits of government intervention, the implications of self-interest in politics, and how these insights shape debates on the design of governance systems.

This Malayalam translation makes an important contribution by making Public Choice economics accessible to a wider audience in India, especially in Kerala. It is an invaluable resource for students, researchers, and practitioners of public policy, economics, and political science who seek to better understand the role of government in economic life.