EPISODE · Apr 20, 2026 · 18 MIN
The Pass-Through Illusion: Why Voters Demand Bad Climate Policy
from Incentives Matter
This episode explores why efficient market-based climate policies, such as carbon taxes, are frequently rejected by the public in favor of less efficient command-and-control standards. It delves into a new NBER working paper that attributes this rejection to voters' fundamental misunderstanding of how costs are passed through the economy, leading to a "pass-through illusion." Listeners will learn about this behavioral blind spot and how it causes the public to incorrectly believe rigid standards will impact their bills less than market-based instruments.
What this episode covers
This episode explores why efficient market-based climate policies, such as carbon taxes, are frequently rejected by the public in favor of less efficient command-and-control standards. It delves into a new NBER working paper that attributes this rejection to voters' fundamental misunderstanding of how costs are passed through the economy, leading to a "pass-through illusion." Listeners will learn about this behavioral blind spot and how it causes the public to incorrectly believe rigid standards will impact their bills less than market-based instruments.
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The Pass-Through Illusion: Why Voters Demand Bad Climate Policy
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