Margolis: Policymaking by conjecture is alive and well

Gov. Phil Scott had suggested that one way to get more people to stay in or move to Vermont would be to give members of the National Guard free tuition at state colleges. Vermont National Guard photo
Politicians tend to be very sure of themselves. So sure that they often proceed as though they merely have to state their claims. They need not do anything as outlandish as offering evidence that their claims withstand scrutiny.
One result is policy-making by conjecture. An officeholder (or, in fair