Comments on: The Myth of the Rational Voter by Bryan Caplan http://www.bibliographing.com/2008/11/04/the-myth-of-the-rational-voter-by-bryan-caplan_review/ or, writing about books Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:34:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The Myth of the Rational Voter / Bryan Caplan - Rat's Reading http://www.bibliographing.com/2008/11/04/the-myth-of-the-rational-voter-by-bryan-caplan_review/comment-page-1/#comment-754 The Myth of the Rational Voter / Bryan Caplan - Rat's Reading Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:58:26 +0000 http://lifeinbooks.wordpress.com/?p=535#comment-754 [...] Bibliographing [...] [...] Bibliographing [...]

]]> By: nicole http://www.bibliographing.com/2008/11/04/the-myth-of-the-rational-voter-by-bryan-caplan_review/comment-page-1/#comment-262 nicole Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:03:57 +0000 http://lifeinbooks.wordpress.com/?p=535#comment-262 Voting is irrational, in expected value terms, if you limit that to financial value. So it is rational to vote if the consumption (expressive) value you get from it is greater than or equal to the opportunity cost. And it is also rational not to expend any effort on becoming more informed—this is why most people address the problem of "rational ignorance" instead. The part where irrationality comes in is in the expression itself—voters are expressing irrational preferences, whether it be "I'd like to have a beer with him" or "I'm a protectionist because I love America." I admit it: I was irrational enough that I voted this election. But I won't encourage others to do the same. Voting is irrational, in expected value terms, if you limit that to financial value. So it is rational to vote if the consumption (expressive) value you get from it is greater than or equal to the opportunity cost. And it is also rational not to expend any effort on becoming more informed—this is why most people address the problem of “rational ignorance” instead.

The part where irrationality comes in is in the expression itself—voters are expressing irrational preferences, whether it be “I’d like to have a beer with him” or “I’m a protectionist because I love America.”

I admit it: I was irrational enough that I voted this election. But I won’t encourage others to do the same.

]]> By: Amateur Reader http://www.bibliographing.com/2008/11/04/the-myth-of-the-rational-voter-by-bryan-caplan_review/comment-page-1/#comment-261 Amateur Reader Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:59:14 +0000 http://lifeinbooks.wordpress.com/?p=535#comment-261 So are the voters in the end actually rational? Additional investment in information would not bring additional (private) benefits. Maybe the only irrational thing they do is bother to vote. Except that since they do it, they must think it's beneficial, so they are, in fact, rational. This is all very entertaining stuff. So are the voters in the end actually rational? Additional investment in information would not bring additional (private) benefits.

Maybe the only irrational thing they do is bother to vote. Except that since they do it, they must think it’s beneficial, so they are, in fact, rational.

This is all very entertaining stuff.

]]>