Public policy, rational hope and economic ideology: A plea for hopeful realism
It would be irresponsible if those who make public policy did not pay serious attention to expert knowledge. If experts advise that a proposed policy will fail, it would be irresponsible for policy makers to ignore their advice. Advocating the impossible would appear to be absurd. Does this mean policy makers must resign themselves to accepting whatever advice experts give them? Must it be irrational for policy makers to maintain hope that a proposed policy will work, although experts tell them it...