In his article, “Unintended Consequences,” Rob Norton begins with this definition: “The law of unintended consequences, often cited but rarely defined, is that actions of people—and especially of governments—always have effects that are unanticipated or unintended.”
Social scientists, especially economists, frequently find evidence of unintended consequences in political decisions. Norton cites several instances, including that of social security. The intended consequence of that government program was to help assuage poverty among senior citizens. Because a good number of Americans now count on receiving social security in their old age, however, they set aside less for their retirement, which means “that less savings are available, less investment takes place, and the economy and wages grow more slowly than they would without Social Security.”
