protect a way of life, or something that is aesthetically pleasing,
even if it means
higher taxes, more expensive food, or less economic growth. To an economist,
and to Mr. Lewis, life is about maximizing utility, not income.
Sometimes utility
means preserving an olive grove or an old vineyard—just because we like the
way it looks. As we grow wealthier, we are often more willing to put aesthetics
above the pocketbook. We may invest resources in rural America because it’s
important to our identity as a nation. We may subsidize
small farms in Vermont
because they’re beautiful, not because it will make milk cheaper. And so on.
That point comes with several heavy doses of caution. First, we must always
make explicit the costs of fiddling with markets, whatever those costs may be.
How is the outcome different than it would have been, and who pays? Second,
we should take care that these costs fall most heavily
on those who enjoy the
benefits. Last and most important, we should make sure that one group (such as
those of us who think that strip malls are hideously ugly) does not use the
political and regulatory process to impose its aesthetic preferences on another
group (those who own strip malls and the people
who enjoy the cheap and
convenient shopping there). That said, there is nothing to stop us from dreaming
of a world without strip malls.
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