ChristianKl comments on Non-standard politics - Less Wrong

3 Post author: NancyLebovitz 24 October 2014 03:27PM

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Comment author: ChristianKl 25 October 2014 02:48:24PM 1 point [-]

I'm not against "big government" as long as it isn't wasteful or overly complex.

Does that basically mean Singapore is okay, but the US isn't? Otherwise what's your idea of not overly complex big government?

Comment author: knb 26 October 2014 05:02:09AM *  2 points [-]

For example, with regard to energy policy, I wouldn't be opposed to the government establishing a large carbon tax. A large carbon tax would be "big government" in the sense that it would have a large economic effect relative to laissez-faire. But it would be simple and therefore would have little overhead. It would be easy for voters to understand, easy for economists to evaluate, and easy for companies to make decisions about without having to hire extra bureaucrats and lawyers to ensure compliance. Ensuring compliance with complex regulations is a deadweight loss.

Comment author: ChristianKl 26 October 2014 06:18:04PM 0 points [-]

I think you underrate the complexity of carbon taxes. Measuring emissions isn't trivial. Various offsetting schemes can also get complex.

Comment author: knb 26 October 2014 08:26:44PM *  1 point [-]

The complexity of emissions taxes is orders of magnitude lower compared to current US legislation.