Why do public policy solutions often fail to meet the lofty expectations of lawmakers? In an energetic new work, The Voltage Effect, University of Chicago economist John List investigates what makes a policy agenda succeed. The book offers good tips for businesses looking to scale up products, but a close reading raises questions about doing the same for public policy, writes Adam Smith Society executive director Yael Hungerford in City Journal.
Mr. List joined a group of Adam Smith Society members for an online discussion on his new book on Monday, May 9. Attending remembers received a copy of The Voltage Effect.
The Adam Smith Society Readers’ Roundtable is a virtual quarterly book club exclusively for Adam Smith Society Young Leaders and Professionals who want to dive deeper into some of today’s most insightful and influential books on free market ideas and public policy.