Rational irrationality

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The concept known as rational irrationality was popularized by economist Bryan Caplan in 2001 to reconcile the widespread existence of irrational behavior (particularly in the realms of religion and politics) with the assumption of rationality made by mainstream economics and game theory.^[1][2] The theory, along with its implications for democracy, was expanded upon by Caplan in his book The Myth of the Rational Voter.

The original purpose of the concept was to explain how (allegedly) detrimental policies could be implemented in a democracy, and, unlike conventional public choice theory, Caplan posited that bad policies were selected by voters themselves. The theory has also been embraced by the ethical intuitionist philosopher Michael Huemer as an explanation for irrationality in politics.^[3][4] The theory has also been applied to explain religious belief.^[5]