Russ Nelson's blog

[ Home | RSS 2.0 | ATOM 1.0 ]

Sat, 11 Sep 2010

When Ignorance is Bliss,

The proper version of "ignorance is bliss" is actually "WHEN ignorance is bliss," and it should be followed by "'tis folly to be wise." That's the short version of public choice economics, which points out that your vote counts for very little, and consequently justifies very little investment in making a quality vote. They call that "rational ignorance." Some economists go even further and say that because your vote counts for so little, you can vote emotionally rather than rationally. You can vote for a minimum wage because it makes you feel good, rather than voting against a minimum wage because it actually prices the worst workers (who need the most help) out of the market.

posted at: 04:00 | path: /economics | permanent link to this entry

Made with Pyblosxom