Evolution, Immigration and Trade
4 Pages Posted: 16 May 2007
Abstract
This is an op-ed from the May 7, 2007 Washingtonpost.com. I argue that our evolved attitudes and preferences have influences on public policy. I use the example of the international economy - including immigration and trade - to illustrate this argument. Our evolved intuition is for a zero-sum world and when we apply this intuition to these issues counterproductive policies result. We can learn about positive sum interactions, but this must be taught; it is not intuitive. The op-ed is based on my book Darwinian Politics: The Evolutionary Origin of Freedom (Rutgers, 2002) and my paper "Folk Economics" (Southern Economic Journal, 2003).
Keywords: evolution, trade, immigration, folk economics
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