La face cachée des politiques publiques

Economic myths are widespread ideas, seen all too often as undeniable truths, that turn out to be false when put to closer examination. Using jargon-free explanations based on common sense, Nathalie Elgrably urges readers to confront these broadly accepted notions and to think like economists.

Debate over the value of public policy frequently leads to the trap of viewing government action solely in terms of short-term effects on small groups of people. A decision that meets the demands of a particular pressure group is more likely to get good press than a reform producing effects on far more people but evident only a few years later. To judge the results of an action more accurately however, it is important to measure the long-term effects on society as a whole.

The book examines various myth-filled areas of public policy such as health care, water management, globalization, agricultural subsidies, minimum wages and rent control. Readers will no doubt discover that some of their most deeply held convictions are little more than mirages that fail the test of economic logic.

Photos taken during the event

Nathalie Elgrably, economist at the MEI and author of the book La face cachée des politiques publiques, with Tasha Kheiriddin, Executive Vice-President at the MEI.