Abstract
The objective of this article is to contribute to the study of the intellectual trajectory of James M. Buchanan. The article argues that the Italian tradition of public finance was an important channel for the transmission of ideas from classical political economy and the philosophy of the social contract to Buchanan, themes he considers essential for the formation of constitutional economics. This is relevant for a deeper understanding of Buchanan’s trajectory as the importance of the Italian tradition for the formation of constitutional economics is often underestimated in the literature.
Keywords:
James M. Buchanan; Constitutional economics; Italian tradition of public finance