Another Article

ESPN's Patrick Hruby discusses government waste.

I do not agree with his 'blame the taxpayer' conclusion. Pork barrel projects should be unconstitutional. Congress funding the Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame has nothing to do with taxpayers. It is wrong.

The article exposes two problems.

First we see how separated the individual and government has become. $70,000 is not much money to a Congressman. It is to me. This problem stems from republicanism. The hierarchy from voters to elected officials is necessary in a large society, but leads to principle-agent problems.

Second we see the limits of democracy. Even if the majority of taxpayers approved of funding the Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame, the project should not be funded. It is not a public decision. It is the problem of fascism. Just because the majority of Germans were NAZIs, concentration camps cannot be justified.

I am adding political science to economics as disciplines who have not reached the public. Many people cannot intelligently think about economic and political issues. (This is what I was saying about the article in the last post.)

We have to teach better.