Why Do Governments Do Stupid Things?
Would government policies fail less often if they were based on careful analysis of good evidence to find out what works?
Trust in government is at an all-time low in many countries. From failed healthcare policies to missed intelligence, government blunders happen often – and visibly. But successful policy-making is hard (and fixes are rarely as quick as politicians like to promise).
Some argue that governments would do stupid things less often if they based their policies on the careful analysis of good evidence; find out what works, in other words, and then do that.
But that’s not how most governments operate, most of the time.
Why not?
Presenter: Michael Blastland
(Photo: a group of journalists being surrounded by the Media. Credit Shutterstock)
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Clips
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Values v. evidence
Duration: 01:52
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How hard can it be?
Duration: 02:11
Broadcasts
- Tue 6 Dec 201602:06GMTBBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean
- Tue 6 Dec 201603:06GMTBBC World Service Online & UK DAB/Freeview only
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- Sat 10 Dec 201622:06GMTBBC World Service except East Asia & News Internet
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