I definitely agree with the line of argument that advertising is a public good, because it leads to more informed consumers, and I am highly sceptical of knee-jerk claims that it is a negative-sum arms race. So at least we’re both consistent!
Even if political advertising produces a little more informat voters, I find it unlikely that the money is as well spent as money on a GiveWell recommended charity.
Furthermore a lot of TV ads don’t really inform and aren’t completely honest. Watching a news show is more likely to inform than watching a campaign ad.
Polling that interrupts people also steals them valuable time and many people are too polite to simply put down the telephone. Less money spent on pollsters that optimize advertising messages is a net gain.
Even if political advertising produces a little more informat voters, I find it unlikely that the money is as well spent as money on a GiveWell recommended charity.
GiveWell’s top recommended charity is giving direct aid to poor Africans. This may make their lives more pleasant, but is very unlikely to have any long-term effect—Africa is poor because it has bad institutions, not inadequate consumption. In 30 years time, GiveWell will still be trying to find ways to alleviate African “poverty,” but will that word mean near-starvation, or something akin to the lives of poor Westerners today? That will be determined by the rates of economic and technological growth for the world as a whole, which in turn are critically influenced by public policy in the First World. Public policy in (broadly-defined) Western countries is the most important issue facing mankind today, and even small improvements are therefore worth vast sums. My own altruistic giving is entirely to a domestic political party for just this reason.
Furthermore a lot of TV ads don’t really inform and aren’t completely honest. Watching a news show is more likely to inform than watching a campaign ad.
But a lot of news shows don’t really inform and aren’t completely honest, so your conclusion doesn’t follow. Campaign adverts allow politicians to get their message out unfiltered by the news media—which has its own agenda. This is particularly important for anti-incumbent politicians. Advertising turns information presentation around elections into a properly adversarial process. If information only goes through the news media, that crucial element is often lost, and with it much of the accountability of elections.
Polling that interrupts people also steals them valuable time and many people are too polite to simply put down the telephone.
Oh come on, this is marginal at best. Did you object to the census on the same grounds, or is this just mood affiliation?
Less money spent on pollsters that optimize advertising messages is a net gain.
Well yes, ceteris paribus. But presenting election information in a way that doesn’t speak to the electorate is a net loss, ceteris paribus. I complained the other day that you can make anything look good under “benefit analysis”—here we have the converse, a “cost analysis.” We do both sides of the cost-benefit analysis for a reason.
GiveWell’s top recommended charity is giving direct aid to poor Africans. This may make their lives more pleasant, but is very unlikely to have any long-term effect—Africa is poor because it has bad institutions, not inadequate consumption.
Have you looked at the actual arguments put forth by GiveWell? The money isn’t mainly used for consumption but often used by people to start businesses that they otherwise couldn’t start.
Empowering individuals to start businesses has advantages over funneling money into bad existing institutions.
Campaign adverts allow politicians to get their message out unfiltered by the news media—which has its own agenda.
I do value checks and balance and I don’t want unfiltered lies.
But presenting election information in a way that doesn’t speak to the electorate is a net loss, ceteris paribus.
The problem is that the value of the time of the person answering the phone isn’t priced into the calculations of the person running the query.
Oh come on, this is marginal at best. Did you object to the census on the same grounds, or is this just mood affiliation?
I think the census does provide valuable data. More targeted political ads don’t provide much value.
Even if political advertising produces a little more informat voters, I find it unlikely that the money is as well spent as money on a GiveWell recommended charity.
Furthermore a lot of TV ads don’t really inform and aren’t completely honest. Watching a news show is more likely to inform than watching a campaign ad.
Polling that interrupts people also steals them valuable time and many people are too polite to simply put down the telephone. Less money spent on pollsters that optimize advertising messages is a net gain.
GiveWell’s top recommended charity is giving direct aid to poor Africans. This may make their lives more pleasant, but is very unlikely to have any long-term effect—Africa is poor because it has bad institutions, not inadequate consumption. In 30 years time, GiveWell will still be trying to find ways to alleviate African “poverty,” but will that word mean near-starvation, or something akin to the lives of poor Westerners today? That will be determined by the rates of economic and technological growth for the world as a whole, which in turn are critically influenced by public policy in the First World. Public policy in (broadly-defined) Western countries is the most important issue facing mankind today, and even small improvements are therefore worth vast sums. My own altruistic giving is entirely to a domestic political party for just this reason.
But a lot of news shows don’t really inform and aren’t completely honest, so your conclusion doesn’t follow. Campaign adverts allow politicians to get their message out unfiltered by the news media—which has its own agenda. This is particularly important for anti-incumbent politicians. Advertising turns information presentation around elections into a properly adversarial process. If information only goes through the news media, that crucial element is often lost, and with it much of the accountability of elections.
Oh come on, this is marginal at best. Did you object to the census on the same grounds, or is this just mood affiliation?
Well yes, ceteris paribus. But presenting election information in a way that doesn’t speak to the electorate is a net loss, ceteris paribus. I complained the other day that you can make anything look good under “benefit analysis”—here we have the converse, a “cost analysis.” We do both sides of the cost-benefit analysis for a reason.
Have you looked at the actual arguments put forth by GiveWell? The money isn’t mainly used for consumption but often used by people to start businesses that they otherwise couldn’t start.
Empowering individuals to start businesses has advantages over funneling money into bad existing institutions.
I do value checks and balance and I don’t want unfiltered lies.
The problem is that the value of the time of the person answering the phone isn’t priced into the calculations of the person running the query.
I think the census does provide valuable data. More targeted political ads don’t provide much value.