Good Public Policy Blogs

Regarding public policy blogs, a good blog should help us think through things, not try to tell us what to think. Most public policy blogs, those not intended as personal forums, tend to be oriented toward advocacy of a point of view. They begin with this point of view, and they do not seriously consider any other points of view. They begin with their position and then make assertions they are right and others are wrong. There is more to it. I want to know what the various points of view are and how to sort them out. The points of view, say regarding the environment or health care, seem to be positions on a policy but they are embedded in a rich, complex system of thought, an ideology if you will. We need to understand this deeper kind of thinking that seems to control the policy positions people take.

So, a blog that seems to (lovingly and helpfully) want to correct public myths and fallacies without denigration of others’ views is most valuable. And most useful can be a blog that is also timely and responsive to current reporting in the media or legislature, how to sort through the various positions on a particular issue, how to analyze candidates, etc. These kind of blogs also demonstrate quality writing, research, economic understanding of the nature of the economic myths and fallacies when thoughtlessly used by media and politicians. It is not that an assertion simply needs to be corrected. A good blog tries to help us understand why and how an ideological system of thought produces the misconceptions and assertions it does.
A good analysis also seems to want to get as close to the data as possible. It demonstrates some sense of effort in attempting to document its analysis with actual examples of the various ways of understanding. Some people attempt to be opinion leaders but for whatever reason seem intent on perpetrating myths, perhaps out of ignorance or perhaps out of a too eager desire to advance a cause. A good blog in its analysis should help readers know that the point of view is properly and sympathetically understood even if it is thought to be wrong.

Considering these criteria for public policy blogs, a blog could be considered successful if it comes off as informative, interesting, unbiased, timely, and enlightening. Perhaps another indicator of success would come from looking at who reads the blog as shown in the blog’s comments. A blog would be successful if its readers post comments that seem directed to wanting to better think through and understand public policy and the different ways people differ in thinking about an issue. A blog can even go a bit further to suggest some ways as to how to evaluate how well an issue is understood and how to apply these ideas to some examples. All conceptions of economics or a theory of government underlying an issue are not equal; there are better and worse ways to understand the economic and political basis of an issue. Policy is not simply a choice among equals, and a blog doesn’t have to refuse to take a position. But again, it is important that the position comes out of an investigation, that it is developed and therefore an outcome of a thoughtful method of analysis. If it starts out with a pre-conceived position and then seeks to prove why that position is best, it sends a message to those who don’t agree with that position that the blog will not consider their point of view and is not for them.

Perhaps these standards seem too analytical, too abstract. Do we really need such deep analysis? We shouldn’t but I think we do. We wouldn’t need such intellectual effort in politics except that the reach of politics and government now includes so many important issue areas and that implies that citizens do have to develop a deep understanding of the issues so as to make the fundamental choices they are facing. Citizens now have the responsibility to keep government from unwisely acting, The decision of whether to take over and control a fundamental area of human activity—health care, the use of environmental resources and land, trade, wages—is hugely significant in its impact on the development of our society. For example, in health care, citizens need a deep understanding of the dramatic change in the incentives, consumer provider relationships, future development, discriminatory effects, and unintended and unforeseen consequences if they are to make a decision as to whether we are going to have government to take over health care for all citizens. Certainly on its surface it looks like it would be great if we had universal health care for everyone but such superficial perception and wants cannot be the basis for wise policy positions.

Increasingly as politicians, perhaps in an attempt to play on voters fears or voters desires in order to get elected, want government to take over and control more areas of our lives, our political involvement now becomes far more important and consequential; therefore it requires and much greater depth of understanding by citizens. I doubt this is possible but it seems this is the situation facing us. So those who can understand the deeper implications of things should step forward to help us think things through, and that important role to a significant extent could be served by blogs.