A nice little article

Borodog · #1 07-27-2007, 10:16 AM

This nice little article explains why all political decisions are mainly informed by, and weighted in favor of, rent seekers.

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. . . if one were to undertake a proper scientific study into the attitudes of the community to [a] proposal, one would solicit the views of a random sample of community members. The use of random sampling ensures that there is no inherent bias in the sampling method — although bias can still result from non-response . . .
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Suffice to say, this is not how the government proceeds. Instead, the government solicits the views of the relevant "stakeholders," identified by the bureaucracy . . .
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For more major decisions, in addition to contacting the large stakeholders, the government may also feel obliged to hold a more general community consultation . . . [T]he government simply invites the public at large to make submissions or attend some form of community forum. This process is self-selective . . .
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The result of this sampling mechanism is that both the stakeholders who are contacted by the government and the members of the public who self-selectively take the time to participate in the process are those who have a large stake in the proposed decision. And since the costs of any particular government service are spread diffusely through the population, whereas the benefits are concentrated among a much smaller group of rent seekers, it is precisely these rent seekers who will be the participants in the government's consultation process . . .

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Nielsio · #2 07-27-2007, 10:29 AM

Representative government..

Representing special interests since 1776..

Join the state! Seek power and sell it to the highest bidder!!

On a more serious note:
The title of the article is 'Why Government Can't Make Decisions Rationally', which seems misleading. The actors in the state definitely make rational decisions. And the government as a whole as well. The problem is that everyone assumes that the government is supposed to 'serve the people' or something to that effect, whereas in reality it's something entirely different.

Michael Rozeff's The State as an Organization has a great analysis on this:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...81464492478834

Borodog · #3 07-27-2007, 10:37 AM

The state cannot make rational decisions regarding its stated aim, the rational allocation of resources in order to serve the consuming public.

The actors within the state can of course make rational allocations of those resources to serve their own self-interests.

Nielsio · #4 07-27-2007, 10:44 AM

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The state cannot make rational decisions regarding its stated aim, the rational allocation of resources in order to serve the consuming public.

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Well, yes. Therefore we can look at its actual aim.

Borodog · #5 07-27-2007, 11:02 AM

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The state cannot make rational decisions regarding its stated aim, the rational allocation of resources in order to serve the consuming public.

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Well, yes. Therefore we can look at its actual aim.

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Of course. But until people stop believing that government can do the things that its apologists claim that it exists to do at all, they will look upon discussions of its true purpose as mere cynicism.