management of public problems and solutions: Wilson's cost benefits

costs/benefits framework

classifies the costs and benefits of policy into 4 types, likely with their political dynamics

majoritarian politics

costs: diffuse

benefits: diffuse

deff: policies where both the costs & benefits are widely shared across society. bc. everyone is affected, but often only slightly, there is little incentive fort organized political action unless the issue is highly visible or symbolic

examples:

• national defense spending

• environmental laws with generalized costs & benefits

client politics

costs: diffuse

benefits: specific (concentrated)

deff: policies where benefits are concentrated in a small group, while the costs are spread thinly across the public. the benefiting group has a strong incentive to organize and lobby for the policy, while the dispersed public rarely mobilizes to oppose it

examples:

• agricultural subsidies for a small group of farmers

• targeted tax breaks for a specific industry

entrepreneurial politics

costs: specific (concentrated)

benefits: diffuse

deff: policies that impose costs on an small, identifiable groups but provide benefits to the general public. the concentrated losers have a strong incentive to organize and fight against the policy, while beneficiaries have weak individual incentives to mobilize

examples:

• anti-pollution regulations targeting specific industries

• consumer protection laws

• antitrust enforcement

interest group politics

costs: specific (concentrated)

benefits: specific (concentrated)

deff: policies where both costs and benefits are concentrated in specific groups. both sides are highly motivated to organize, lobby, and fight for their position

examples:

• labor v. business disputes over workplace rules

• trade policy disputes

• federal contract competitions between major defense firms