ABSTRACT
Why do legislators allow inefficient policies to persist rather than passing legislation that could improve society overall? This question has primarily been addressed by political scientists, but psychologists can contribute ways to overcome the problem. We review how psychological aspects of decision making result in policies that fail to achieve their intended effect of the greatest utilitarian good. We cover a multitude of barriers to the creation of better policies, ranging from ordinary cognitive and affective biases that affect both individuals and organizations to the special-interest groups that capitalize on these biases. We also recommend techniques to help legislators overcome these barriers and pass legislation that benefits society at large.
