Charles Murray and the Three Laws of Social Transfer Programs

While reading Toward Liberty - The Idea That is Changing the World, I found the following gem buried in one of the Cato Institute essays:

Law #1: The Law of Imperfect Selection- Any objective rule that defines eligibility for a social transfer program will irrationally exclude some persons.

Law #2: The Law of Unintended Rewards- Any social transfer increases the net value of being in the condition that prompted the transfer.

Law #3: The Law of Net Harm- The less likely it is that the unwanted behavior will change voluntarily, the more likely it is that a program to induce change will cause net harm.


Charles Murray, Losing Ground; American Social Policy 1950-1980

Simply brilliant.