This puts a democratic leader in a tight spot. If he embraces the public’s doseless worldview and legislates accordingly, it would spark economic disaster. Over 60% of the public agrees that “it can never be too expensive to reduce the risks associated with chemicals,”85 but the leader who complied would be a hated scapegoat once the economy fell to pieces. On the other hand, a leader who dismisses every low-dose scare as “unscientific” and “paranoid” would soon be a reviled symbol of pedantic insensitivity. Given their incentives, politicians cannot disregard the public’s misconceptions, but
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