DARIA: Like it or not, government support for education is mighty popular. Bluntly rejecting it is no way to win over the public. BRYAN: You’re probably right. I have a whole book on this theme called The Myth of the Rational Voter. Popular policies aren’t good, and good policies aren’t popular. DARIA: You’re cynical about more than education. BRYAN: I prefer “realistic,” but have it your way. Voters favor—and governments adopt—policies that sound good, even if they work poorly. That’s what I call the “politics of Social Desirability Bias.” Cutting education spending sounds awful despite its
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