Shaping Public Policy: The Anchor Problem

Please consider this problem. You are buying a new hybrid car on the market. Some of your friends had it for many years, and they like them. When you ask how much they will pay, you get between $ 28 thousand and $ 33 thousand. When you look for it, you will find what you want for $ 27,000. You are very excited and will buy it. After that, talking to another friend, he bought a hybrid car with exactly the same basic function for $ 23,000, but you were shocked. How do you want to know? Welcome to Anchor Effect

First, it was theorized by two cognitive psychologists, Amos Taversky and Daniel Kahneman. Once fixed, it dominates our thoughts and moves us towards the anchor. I will not search other information. So, when you buy a car, you are expecting to pay at least $ 28,000 or even you can pay less than one.

Politically, as with buying a car, the anchor may influence the decision when not understanding. In fact, by definition, it is fixed to the depth of our thoughts. For example, when Congressional Republicans promised to cut $ 100 billion from the federal budget, that number became an anchor. It forms our view on what we are doing, our view on success or failure, and discussion on this number. If the main power is 1 trillion dollars, or 10 billion dollars, how is our thinking different?

Not all anchors are numbers. When the Democratic Party set the goal of providing nearly universal health care it became an anchor point forming a debate on both health care discussions and how the Democratic Party did it. Media, politicians, officials, general people - everyone focuses on key proposals, breaking deeper analysis and other options

On the political side, the moderators discuss in a public place, determine the content related to the discussion and the non-essential content, decide which solution is worth considering, and which solution is not worth considering Proposed. The moderator will promote the policy in a specific direction and ignore other options. In fact, political control is the answer, once they work, they will focus on the agreement / disagreement of answers and ignore whether we will solve the right problem at night. Therefore, you may overlook potential problems and hinder systematic problem analysis.

To some extent, you believe that public opinion is right for the right of political spectrum in recent years, fixation may be going well. For example, a question that may be asked to reduce debt seems to be left in negotiations where no tax increases are found in the negotiation table.

Victory in the election is to some extent concerning the creation of anchors - allowing citizens to view problems in some way and accept solutions suggested by candidates and parties. Therefore, it is expected that there will be much effort in the next two years. Indeed, the best political parties may do their best in opinion polls. Unfortunately once anchors are identified they can actually make it more difficult for those who set them up after the election. By definition, anchors will make you disappoint In the world of complex problems, putting yourself in a limited thinking space will not be our benefit.

We shape our world through public policy. This public policy consists not only of politicians, tens of thousands of civil servants, tens of thousands of women and men, submitting petitions to parliament and pastors, joining interest groups, expressing opinions through media, labor We represent unions, companies, communities. Exercise All of these are related to public policy. The whole community is affected by public policy. Administrative theories and practices are increasingly interested in putting citizens at the center of consideration by policy makers, not only as targets but also as agents. For this purpose, civil servants are advised to cooperate rather than just consult, to extend assistance as well as just to respond. This means reaching out to people who are more educated and adapt to the rights of citizens and voters with access to information and broad access to opinion leaders, experts, and supporters' voices .

On the political side, the moderators discuss in a public place, determine the content related to the discussion and the non-essential content, decide which solution is worth considering, and which solution is not worth considering Proposed. The moderator will promote the policy in a specific direction and ignore other options. In fact, political control is the answer, once they work, they will focus on the agreement / disagreement of answers and ignore whether we will solve the right problem at night. Therefore, you may overlook potential problems and hinder systematic problem analysis.