Conflict vs. Mistake: Transportation Planning Edition

An outstanding framework to help understand why transportation planning is wildly inconsistent in the United States.

In January 2018, Scott Alexander, purveyor of ideas at the much-interpreted blog, Slate Star Codex, wrote an article called “Conflict vs. Mistake.”* This article profoundly changed the way I approach my life, and how people across the political spectrum approach every problem in their own lives. I’ll directly quote Scott here because there’s little direct definition that clarifies “conflict” and “mistake” theories, so Scott approaches the problem with examples and defines, parametrically:

Mistake theorists treat politics as science, engineering, or medicine. The State is diseased. We’re all doctors, standing around arguing over the best diagnosis and cure. Some of us have good ideas, others have bad ideas that wouldn’t help, or that would cause too many side effects.

Conflict theorists treat politics as war. Different blocs with different interests are forever fighting to determine whether the State exists to enrich the Elites or to help the People.

NB! I’ll be referring to these two “t…