Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Bryan Caplan
4 Feb 2016
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Based on bryan caplan, the myth of the rational voter, and heywood, p. 204. Take note that pp 216-20 of heywood are not required reading. Caplan, however, argues that voters hold their opinions strongly, and are therefore not rationally ignorant, but are instead just irrational. Some opinions are more emotionally appealing than others and regardless of whether or not those opinions are rational, they are easier to get behind. They are manipulated by campaigns/the media to point in the same direction. False views about politics and religion are cheap voting for a stupid policy doesn"t hurt you the way that being wrong about the effects of excessive drinking hurt you. You aren"t really punished in a noticeable way. Caplan believes that experts are brutally important because they are the only ones who can actually bring an informed, accurate opinion to the table when discussing policy matters.
