Listen to political discourse. People speak in verbal caricatures. They seem to be saying...My side is full of angels. Your side is full of demons.But how likely is that?The new episode of Gracearchy with Jim Babka gives you a new way to look at things. The two sides in the political conflict aren't angels and demons, but they may be…Bootleggers and Baptists. This mental lever, from Public Choice Theory economics, explains incentives and behaviors inside the Conflict Machine (politics). Many people demonize political actors, especially while analyzing the activities of the opposition party. But when you see CRONYISM at work, or if you believe you've discovered a CONSPIRACY THEORY, this Baptists and Bootleggers heuristic will help you be BOTH more *gracious* and *accurate* in your assessment of the actors involved.Bruce Yandle labeled this concept, but this episode contains a NEW insight: The ratio of Baptists to Bootleggers.It also includes a bit of strategy: What if the Baptists discovered what was going on?
