I agree with your main points, but it’s worth noting that corporations and governments don’t really have goals—people who control them have goals. Corporations are supposed to maximize shareholder value, but their actual behavior reflects the personal goals of executives, major shareholders, etc. See, for example, “Dividends and Expropriation” Am Econ Rev 91:54-78. So one key question is how to align the interests of those who actually control corporations and governments with those they are supposed to represent.
Yes. And obviously corporations and governments have multiple levels on which they’re irrational and don’t effectively optimize any goals at all. I was skating over that stuff to make a point, but thanks for pointing it out, and thanks for the good citation.
I agree with your main points, but it’s worth noting that corporations and governments don’t really have goals—people who control them have goals. Corporations are supposed to maximize shareholder value, but their actual behavior reflects the personal goals of executives, major shareholders, etc. See, for example, “Dividends and Expropriation” Am Econ Rev 91:54-78. So one key question is how to align the interests of those who actually control corporations and governments with those they are supposed to represent.
Yes. And obviously corporations and governments have multiple levels on which they’re irrational and don’t effectively optimize any goals at all. I was skating over that stuff to make a point, but thanks for pointing it out, and thanks for the good citation.