MythoOfTheRationalVoter
by Bryan Kaplan
Very good, as expected. Changed how I think about Democracy
Sensible Public Opinion is a Public Good
The big three systematic economic errors of the public
- anti-market bias: people fail to see that markets lead to a dynamic equalibrium that turns private greed into public good. Economist worry about a problem if its not obvious who could get rich by solving it. This strikes most people as immoral.
- anti-foreign bais: people underestimate the value in cooperating with others
- make-work bias: people see employment as more important than production
- pessimistic bias: people think the economy is bad and getting worse
Counter Intuitive ways to improve democracy:
- Obtain a voter license by passing a test: "A test of voter competence is no more objectionable than a driving test. Both bad driving and bad voting are dangerous to not merely to the individual who practices them, but to innocent bystanders."
- Stop trying to "turnout the vote": Likely voters are more rational voters. Efforts to increase participation tend to increase the share of irrational voters.