Really nice and useful exploration, and I really liked your drawings.
(a) Maybe the average/median institution’s goals are already aligned with public good
FWIW, I intuitively would’ve drawn the institution blob in your sketch higher, i.e. I’d have put fewer than (eyeballing) 30% of institutions in the negatively aligned space (maybe 10%?). In moments like this, including a quick poll into the forum to get a picture what others think would be really useful.
However, I don’t see a clear argument for how an abstract intervention that improves decision-making would also incidentally improve the value-alignment of an institution.
Other spontaneous ideas, besides choosing more representative candidates:
increased coherence of the institution could lead to an overall stronger link between its mandate and its actions
increased transparency and coherence could reduce corruption and rent-seeking
I know of efficient and technologically progressive institutions that seem extremely harmful, and of benign, well-meaning institutions that are slow to change and inefficient
Given what I said beforehand, I’d be interested in learning more about examples of harmful institutions that have generally high capacity.
I intuitively would’ve drawn the institution blob in your sketch higher, i.e. I’d have put fewer than (eyeballing) 30% of institutions in the negatively aligned space (maybe 10%?).
I won’t redraw/re-upload this sketch, but I think you are probably right.
In moments like this, including a quick poll into the forum to get a picture what others think would be really useful.
That’s a really good idea, thank you! I’ll play around with that.
re: “argument for how an abstract intervention that improves decision-making would also incidentally improve the value-alignment of an institution” etc.
Thank you for the suggestions! I think you raise good points, and I’ll try to come back to this.
Really nice and useful exploration, and I really liked your drawings.
FWIW, I intuitively would’ve drawn the institution blob in your sketch higher, i.e. I’d have put fewer than (eyeballing) 30% of institutions in the negatively aligned space (maybe 10%?). In moments like this, including a quick poll into the forum to get a picture what others think would be really useful.
Other spontaneous ideas, besides choosing more representative candidates:
increased coherence of the institution could lead to an overall stronger link between its mandate and its actions
increased transparency and coherence could reduce corruption and rent-seeking
Given what I said beforehand, I’d be interested in learning more about examples of harmful institutions that have generally high capacity.
Thank you for this comment!
I won’t redraw/re-upload this sketch, but I think you are probably right.
That’s a really good idea, thank you! I’ll play around with that.
Thank you for the suggestions! I think you raise good points, and I’ll try to come back to this.