Ideologies are not simply lies; they are truthful statements about what a man thinks he sees.
—Joseph Schumpeter
One way to induce a politician to change his position on some issue is to erode his confidence in the way he is perceived by his constituents and peers for taking the position he takes. The economist brings about this result by putting out an analysis, based on the rational choice model, that is sufficiently compelling to make the politician realize that he is seen as having no defense against the analysis.
This contradicts the usual characterization of the behavior of politicians and of the power of economists to influence their behavior. The idealized, textbook conceptualization of the politician has him seeking ...
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