Thomas Shogren, Chapter 8, Question #2

The issue brought up in this chapter is the question of why our increasing knowledge of public policy doesn't always turn into a perfect government. The issue is that while running for president the  canidates don't neccesarily make the right decision that will help the economy, but instead make the decision that will help them receive more votes and increase their chance of winning the election. The issues affect my life both now and in the future because the decisions that the canidates make can help me but also harm me. The repercussions of their decisions affect me everyday even if I don't notice it. An example of this would be the Iowa caucuses. The canidate subsidizes corn so that he/she can receive the votes from farmers in Iowa. In a way this helps me since ethanol (made from corn) has cleaner emissions but it also costs me money since my taxes go to pay for the subsidy and the government will lose revenue since the tax on ethanol is cheaper than the tax on gasoline. Although this typically affects me indirectly it is still a cost to me and many others for the benefit of fewer people.