ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the factors that lead to starkly negative unintended consequences, to examine what they are, how powerfully they operate, and what can be done about them. Skeptical observers of American governmental processes (or of human interactions in general) latched onto the concept of “Murphy’s Law,” which in its various permutations hypothesized that; “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.” More recently, an even more ambitious corollary of Murphy’s Law has been propounded, under the heading of the “Law of Unintended Consequences.” Modern life, unfortunately, offers multiple examples of public policies that are ostensibly designed to help deal with an identifiable social ill, yet backfire or generate a more-than-offsetting reaction in other sectors. When a country makes a decision to build new weapons, it can be presumed to have certain perceptions, goals, or strategies in mind. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
