The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

Making Plans for Edward

Feb 8, 2024

Kevin Kosar, a senior fellow at AEI, discusses the works of political scientist Edward Banfield and the lessons they hold for government planning. They delve into Banfield's book 'Government Project' and the failed cooperative farm in Arizona. The podcast also explores the complexities of management, factions at the farm, time horizons related to success and poverty, and frustration with prior beliefs.

57:15

Episode guests

Edward Banfield

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Government Project by Edward Banfield demonstrates the limitations of government planning and the importance of clear lines of responsibility.

Ed Banfield's approach of managing social problems rather than seeking perfect solutions aligns with the idea of limited government and cautious policy-making.

Deep dives

The Life and Work of Ed Banfield

Ed Banfield was a well-known and controversial figure in the field of public policy. He was a professor at Harvard and a vocal critic of many social policy proposals of the 1960s. His research often debunked the effectiveness of left-leaning policies and pointed out potential pitfalls and unintended consequences. Banfield's most famous book, The Unheavenly City, tackled issues of poverty, culture, and short-term thinking, challenging prevailing views on these topics. He argued that poverty is not solely a matter of material wealth, but also stems from cultural attitudes and behaviors. Banfield's work laid the foundation for a new conservative perspective on societal issues and made him one of the founding fathers of neoconservatism.

Introduction

3min

A Controversial Professor's Career and Books on Public Policy

3min

The Rise and Fall of a Government-sponsored Cooperative Farm

11min

Complexities of Management and Decision-Making within Organizations

2min

Factions at the Casa Grande Farm and Brief Mention of a Controversial Book

3min

Time Horizons and Success vs. Poverty

11min

The Unheavily City and Frustration with Prior Beliefs

20min

If you’ve never been a resident of the Washington egghead-osphere, you’re probably not familiar with the 20th-century political scientist Edward Banfield. But Kevin Kosar—a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and noted KISS fanatic—thinks that you should be. In 1951, Banfield published Government Project, an account of the U.S. government’s attempt to remake the lives of some of its citizens by establishing a cooperative farm in Arizona during the Great Depression. The project didn’t go so well, and Kevin believes it holds vital lessons about the limits of government planning that Americans across the political spectrum would be wise to recall today. Tune in for neocon nerdery, but stick around for some more contemporary wonkery on what’s gone wrong with Congress.

Show Notes:

- Kevin’s page at AEI

- Kevin’s podcast, Understanding Congress

- Edward Banfield’s Government Project, reissued with a new introduction by Kevin

- Kevin on Banfield’s The Unheavenly City

- Banfield’s The Moral Basis of a Backward Society

- Kevin and Phil Wallach: “The Case for a Congressional Regulation Office”

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