Private Truths, Public Lies: The Social Consequences of Preference FalsificationPreference falsification, according to the economist Timur Kuran, is the act of misrepresenting one's wants under perceived social pressures. It happens frequently in everyday life, such as when we tell the host of a dinner party that we are enjoying the food when we actually find it bland. In Private Truths, Public Lies Kuran argues convincingly that the phenomenon not only is ubiquitous but has huge social and political consequences. Drawing on diverse intellectual traditions, including those rooted in economics, psychology, sociology, and political science, Kuran provides a unified theory of how preference falsification shapes collective decisions, orients structural change, sustains social stability, distorts human knowledge, and conceals political possibilities. |
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... elections by secret ballot . Indeed , in a democracy disliked officials can be voted out of office at the first election . An ouster might occur even if public opinion favors the political status quo . If voters are somehow afraid to ...
... Elected representatives cast their votes openly , however , so pressure groups came to control their decisions . Tocqueville's observation illustrates an additional problem with the claim that democratic elections accord private opinion ...
... elections for a pluralistic parliament . In elections scheduled for June noncom- munists would be permitted to contest all 100 Senate seats and 161 of the 460 Assembly seats . Exceeding the wildest expectations , Soli- darity won 260 of ...
Contents
Collective Conservatism | 105 |
The Obstinacy of Communism | 118 |
The Ominous Perseverance of the Caste System | 128 |
Copyright | |
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