Self-interest and incompetence

Resumo

All social science’s schools have a common assumption: self-interests is the central variable explaining human behavior in society. The author has no contention about that. But says that in contemporary societies a second variable is turning increasingly relevant when one is willing to explain social outcomes: policymakers’ technical and emotional incompetence. Incompetent policymakers, who fail to choose the alternative more consistent with their own objectives, even when interests were neutralized, always existed. But now, that an increasing number of social outcomes are dependent on government policy, competence turned strategic. Besides selfinterest, competence must be assessed when one evaluates social outcomes.

Ficha do documento

Tipo

Estudo

Ano

2000

Instituição

Fundação Getulio Vargas

Fonte

Repositório da FGV

Idioma

Inglês

Acesso

Não informado

Identificador

oai:repositorio.fgv.br:10438/1860

Temas

EconomiaPolíticas Públicas

Palavras-chave

Self-interestsHuman behaviorH0EconomiaPolítica econômicaPolíticas públicasComportamento humano - Aspectos sociaisEconomia - Aspectos sociaisInteresse (Psicologia)