# Most politicians are shockingly ignorant **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 13, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-politicians-are-shockingly-ignorant/759856 "2016-07-13T22:44:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-politicians-are-shockingly-ignorant/759856/61 "2016-07-19T08:44:50Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Liberals actually seem quite uncomfortable with basic economic principles, supply and demand being at the top of the list. And many conservatives seem quite uncomfortable with advanced economic principles beyond the Econ 101 supply/demand graph for perfectly competitive markets. When you have a significant number of people in the country who have trouble finding meaningful work while a small elite set from Wall Street and Silicon Valley are making millions, if not billions, it creates a perception that the “free market” isn’t working. Or that it’s working precisely the way the wealthy elite wants it to. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-politicians-are-shockingly-ignorant/759856/62 "2016-07-19T11:59:23Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Right, but in practice, these topics are more complicated than a simple “yes” or “no”. So is every other topic in politics. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![dreamregent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6f9a4e/32.png) [@dreamregent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dreamregent)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-politicians-are-shockingly-ignorant/759856/63 "2016-07-19T14:01:55Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > What I mean is that the facts around the hot button scientific issues tend to favor the liberal view. At this time. Things have not always been that way, nor will they always be that way. But as long as facts support liberals’ policy preferences, liberals will be pro-science. Once the facts point in a direction they don’t like, they’ll be mysteriously against funding scientific programs that create such adverse evidence. That sounds like wishful thinking to me. While it’s possible for science to make a complete about-face, it’s not typical when people adhere strictly to the scientific method. Usually, scientific theories continue in the same direction and simply become more refined. For example, consider the development of physics. While Newtonian physics is no longer the standard by which physics is measured, Newton was going in the right direction. The theories underlying physics have simply become much more refined. To me, it sounds as if you expect complete turn-arounds on things like global warming and evolution. I wouldn’t bet on that. > [@msmith537](#): > > I feel like there was a time when there was more reasonable fact-based non-crazy positions that could be taken by both sides on pretty much any issue. But not any more. I disagree. Perhaps it seems that way because more people in the past were willing to accept burden of proof logical fallacies as evidence. > [@msmith537](#): > > With the internet and 24 hour news, it’s all about getting moderately to uninformed people riled up. But I agree with you there. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-politicians-are-shockingly-ignorant/759856/64 "2018-11-06T09:16:25Z")
Ho do you tell what is true? How do you tell what is fact? Politicians have a simple test available: people vote on it. Is global warming real? People vote, and then you know. I became aware of this after I became aware that Lawyers in particular, but also Doctors, Policemen, accountants, teachers, nurses and physicists, have similar algorithms for determining truth and fact. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-politicians-are-shockingly-ignorant/759856.md?page=3)