Sir Politic Would-Be has the answer to so many questions, aided by his newest find, The Behavioral Foundations of Public Policy edited by Eldar Shafir, of Princeton. Nothing better than a 'Brand Name Thinker' with an impeccable pedigree will do for our noted inquirer. But he does vigorously dissent over the burning question of 'moderation' or rather his usual list of policy prescriptions, proscriptions. While not forgetting to include those drone targets and the latest historical place holder for the Soviet Union, Iran:
" My problem with these efforts is that they are still so modest. What about the big problems? How do we get people to restrain government commitments now so that debt down the road won’t be so ruinous? How do we calculate the multiplier effects of tax cuts or spending increases among different subgroups of the population, or under different emotional conditions? How do we rig the context of budget negotiations so participants can actually come to a deal? How are people in different cultures likely to react to drone strikes? How do we structure sanctions against Iran to cause the greatest psychic humiliation?
These are the big questions, and most of our policies rely on crude folk psychology from a few politicians. But there’s hope. As Brian Wansink notes in Eldar Shafir’s volume, the 20th century saw great gains in sanitation and public health. The 21st century could be a great period for behavior change."
Political Cynic