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On tyrannical experts and expert tyrants

Author

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  • Angus Deaton

Abstract

Easterly’s Tyranny of Experts is a paean to freedom, democracy, and the rights of the poor. It rightly damns the “technological illusion” that development is an engineering problem, not a political problem that cannot be solved by experts, particularly not by outside experts. While Tyranny is strong in its denunciation of inappropriate experts, it is less strong in explaining the proper role of expertise. Although the extent of knowledge is often overstated, we are not completely ignorant about the effects of policies, especially of harmful policies. We should indeed champion the rights of the poor and their full participation in a democratic state. But it is too optimistic to believe that rights and democracy by themselves will guarantee growth and prosperity, and the argument that rights and democracy are both necessary and sufficient for population health is largely wishful thinking. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Angus Deaton, 2015. "On tyrannical experts and expert tyrants," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 28(4), pages 407-412, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:revaec:v:28:y:2015:i:4:p:407-412
    DOI: 10.1007/s11138-015-0323-y
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nora Lustig, 2018. "Measuring the Distribution of Household Income, Consumption and Wealth: State of Play and Measurement Challenges," Working Papers 1801, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    2. Mary B. Adam & Angela Donelson, 2022. "Trust is the engine of change: A conceptual model for trust building in health systems," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 116-127, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Democracy; Rights; Development; Policy; Health; O1; O2; P16; I15;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O2 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development

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