Sensible Social Policy
Must we make policy decisions about things like national security, environmental protection, welfare, social security, and prescription drugs by seeing who can win a fight over ideology. And of course these fights are often shaped by lobbyists, re-election concerns, and assorted influence peddlers. Those three forces are at work in all levels of government.
Nonprofit organizations are often focused on a socialist, "progressive" or conservative perspective on issues. This is not necessarily bad but can result in advocates only using evidence and logic to promote their own ideology. That is very, very bad indeed!
We should demand science-based logical policies that support widely held human values. Who cares if the policy resulting in a certain case is conservative or liberal? (Actually, almost everyone cares, which is a bit of a problem for my idea.)
This idea is related to my post on the Impact of Ideas Initiative (see the archive for this post). What we need to do is create a program or a new nonprofit devoted to development of sensible policy alternatives.
The Sensible Policy Initiave would exist to design new ways to reach our societal goals. The Initiative would devote resources to the utopian task of creating policies that really do meet these three criteria:
1. Science based - this would include a combination of natural science and social science; theory and research
2. Logical - the policies will have to pass at least some fundamental logical tests; plus they will have to endure an analysis of likely consequences, including the slippery but often tremendous secondacy consequences
3. Values-based - Researchers would not care if anyone's conservative or liberal values are supported; the point is to see that widely-held human values like health and family are at least respected, if not enhanced by any initiative.
The short-term work of the Initiative may actually be focused on evaluating current and yet-to-be-proposed policies according to those three criteria. Staff could also issue white papers containing their own suggestions. Later, consulting on policy and legislation seems to be a possibility.
The Initiative would be a nonprofit organization, or a program run by a larger nonprofit. The Initiative could address social and environmental policy in general or it could focus on a particular area, like education or drugs.
What do you think of this idea? And do you have any suggestions for names that top Sensible Policy Initiative? (Given the way the world works maybe Forlorn Hope Policy Center would be a good name!)
Nonprofit organizations are often focused on a socialist, "progressive" or conservative perspective on issues. This is not necessarily bad but can result in advocates only using evidence and logic to promote their own ideology. That is very, very bad indeed!
We should demand science-based logical policies that support widely held human values. Who cares if the policy resulting in a certain case is conservative or liberal? (Actually, almost everyone cares, which is a bit of a problem for my idea.)
This idea is related to my post on the Impact of Ideas Initiative (see the archive for this post). What we need to do is create a program or a new nonprofit devoted to development of sensible policy alternatives.
The Sensible Policy Initiave would exist to design new ways to reach our societal goals. The Initiative would devote resources to the utopian task of creating policies that really do meet these three criteria:
1. Science based - this would include a combination of natural science and social science; theory and research
2. Logical - the policies will have to pass at least some fundamental logical tests; plus they will have to endure an analysis of likely consequences, including the slippery but often tremendous secondacy consequences
3. Values-based - Researchers would not care if anyone's conservative or liberal values are supported; the point is to see that widely-held human values like health and family are at least respected, if not enhanced by any initiative.
The short-term work of the Initiative may actually be focused on evaluating current and yet-to-be-proposed policies according to those three criteria. Staff could also issue white papers containing their own suggestions. Later, consulting on policy and legislation seems to be a possibility.
The Initiative would be a nonprofit organization, or a program run by a larger nonprofit. The Initiative could address social and environmental policy in general or it could focus on a particular area, like education or drugs.
What do you think of this idea? And do you have any suggestions for names that top Sensible Policy Initiative? (Given the way the world works maybe Forlorn Hope Policy Center would be a good name!)
posted by Dr Society | 9:53 PM
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