Pubpol 201: Terms

Consequentialism

An action is right (morally permissible) if and only if its consequences are better than any alternative.

Utilitarianism

An action is right if and only if it results in at least as much total "happiness" as any other action.

Contractualism (Rawls)

Principles are just if and only if people behind the "veil of ignorance" would agree to them.

Veil of ignorance (Rawls)

A hypothetical state where people do not know anything about their own—or anyone else's—characteristics, income, or abilities.

Fair Equality of opportunity principle (Rawls)

Among social arrangements that satisfy the equal liberty principle, there is no discrimination in opportunities across groups.

Difference principle (Rawls)

Among social arrangements that satisfy the equal liberty principle, remaining inequalities are fair if they work to the greatest benefit of the worst-off group.

Equal liberty principle

People have individual liberties/rights to the extent that they do not interfere with other people's liberties.

Market failure/imperfection

An adverse outcome in a free market system in which the forces of supply and demand fail to ensure the efficient distribution of goods and services.

Externality

A type of market imperfection; a side effect or consequence of an economic activity that affects other parties without being reflected in market prices.

Information asymmetries

A type of market imperfection; a situation in economic activity where one party has more information than the other.

Boilerplate (in writing)

Prefabricated, unoriginal, and predictable prose.

Structure

Formal rules and delegation.

Craft

Skilled leadership.

Culture

Informal beliefs and norms, including artifacts, espoused values, and underlying assumptions.

State capacity

The "ability" of a government to achieve its goals.

Implementation

The actual mechanisms needed to achieve goals.

Proceduralism

A type of barrier to implementation characterized by adding rules/procedures instead of directly solving issues.

Politicization

A type of barrier to implementation involving the prioritization of political loyalty over merit- or knowledge-based selection.

Negativity bias

The tendency where consequences for bad actions/policies are more salient than rewards for good ones.

Positivity bias

The tendency of individuals to give themselves more credit for positive outcomes than they deserve.

Creeping determinism

Retrospectively supposing that patterns were clear and events were predictable.

Administrative burdens

Costly interactions and experiences (learning, compliance, or psychological costs) that individual agents have with the government.

Economic history

The analysis of economic events that happened historically.

Bourgeoisie

Capitalists; those who own businesses.

Proletariat

Workers; seen as merely an input to production.