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Government policies that a majority of Americans oppose

posted 2006.11.16 Thursday

In his excellent Public Finance lectures, Bryan Caplan poses a "Challenge:  What policies exist that a majority of American voters oppose?"  I can't say that I find this to be much of a challenge, as just in the past week I've come across several biggies:

  • The first came to my attention courtesy of, uh, Bryan Caplan:  "A year ago, I bet that an referendum would have imposed price controls on gasoline."  I would take the same side on that bet.  Fortunately, only Hawaiians suffered such foolishness.
  • I'd also wager that right now we could cook up plenty of other nice-sounding wage and price controls that would get majority support in opinion polls.  Here's one on which there's data:  in May 2005, 86% of Americans wanted the minimum wage set at $6.45 -- and who knows how high a simple majority would set it? -- yet 18 months later, the minimum wage remains at $5.15.
  • Another rock-solid example jumps out in the same poll from May 2005:  65% wanted government health insurance for all even if taxes increase -- not much wiggle room to explain this one away.
  • A fourth example is pointed out by Justin Raimondo (who recognizes that the newly elected Democratic Congress is likely to be all talk on ending the war in Iraq):  Right now, a majority of Americans want the troops home within a year, and a majority has wanted troops home "as soon as possible" regardless of whether the "situation has stabilized" since March.  Arguably, the continued presence of troops in Iraq eight months hence constitutes a policy that a majority opposed; if the troops still aren't back by this time next year, Caplan will have yet one more clear-cut example for his new class.

Loyal P-Shock readers, do you have any more examples?

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