The topic of Public Choice Theory was discussed this week in class and I found it to be a fairly irrational theory that only applies to a select few. The first problem that I have with this is the idea that politicians and government agencies are "self-interested actors" and "are always trying to increase their own utility". We can look at any area of life and see opportunistic people who are simply concerned with improving their place in life. This includes politics, real-estate transactions, ticketing brokers, and any other level of business. We can also look at these areas and see folks who are working hard to improve their place in life, but doing it in an ethical and honorable manner.
This theory sounds like the bullett from the gun of an activist who thinks that all government is bad. There are thousands of politicians in the United States from the Senators and Representatives in Washington DC to the city politicians in small towns all over the country. Many politicians, and I would even go so far as to say most politicians, follow a calling to public service not to get rich but because they believe they can make things better. There is corruption in all levels of politics but that can be said for any industry in the world today, including the churches, but these organizations are filled with good, hard working people that offset the few bad apples. We elect public officials not because we agree with everything that they say, but rather because we believe them to be ethical and representative of our communities. A large part of what they do in office is to listen to different views and determine which decisions are going to benefit the people the most, or hurt the people the least. To argue that all politicians are only interested in increasing their own utility instead of pushing towards what they believe is the best course of action for all involved is an extremely pessimistic way to look at things.
Another part of this argument that I disagree with is the "Paradox of Voting" which argues that for a rational, self-interested voter, the costs of voting will exceed the benefits. I believe that we underestimate the power of one's influence on others. Can one vote decide an election, 99.9% of the time the answer is no but one person can certainly have a domino effect on many people. If I decide to vote and then wear my "I Voted" sticker in public that day then I am advertising for voting. Further, any conversations that I have with friends, or even a younger sibling or relative about the importance of voting can have a future effect on whether that person will cherish the right to vote in the future. Now if I am negative about voting and voice my opinion that no single vote counts and it is a waste of time to participate then my negative opinion can have an influence on whether or not someone will be a voter. I would argue that while the benefits of voting in a current election may not match up with the costs, the long-term benefits of voting will be substantially greater than the investment.
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I think it is kind of amusing to talk about the "costs of voting", like we won't be able to pay our bills if we decide to vote. It takes 10 minutes to vote. There are too many people that complain about politics and don't vote. You hear the classic excuse all of the time, "I am only one vote. One vote can't make a difference." That would be true if only one person thought like that. The benefit of voting cannot be measured.
ReplyDeleteI think your post was very well written and I do believe your theory to be correct. Most politicians(not all of them)have an agenda of their own. I believe that many of them do "set out" to make a difference, but many of them become corrupt over the years. Many of them are in a very powerful position and their are many others willing to bribe them in many different ways. These bribes range from trips to the weekly golf game at a lavish course. I vote every time that I get a chance and for those that don't, they have no say in any of this.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your theory on politicians. I think that politicians put all the effort into participating in our government shows that most are taking part in order to help our government and country to be successful. Sure there are some benefits to the quality of life when you are a politician, but if you research you will see that our politicians are very well educated and attended prestigious schools, so they pretty much earn their lifestyle themselves because of their drive.
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