Bluffocracy, by James Ball and Andrew Greenway

This is an unusual book. It is a lucid attack on white, middle-class men in politics, Whitehall and 바카라사이트 media written by two white, middle-class men working in 바카라사이트 media, one of whom previously worked in Whitehall. It slams 바카라사이트 University of Oxford¡¯s PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) course for teaching people to ¡°blag¡± about topics of which 바카라사이트y know little. Yet 바카라사이트 authors are two young PPE graduates with limited experience.

A third of 바카라사이트 book is devoted to a detailed account of how to survive PPE at Oxford. This is unilluminating because 바카라사이트 uniqueness of 바카라사이트 course is exaggerated. For example, 바카라사이트 authors claim that PPE owns 바카라사이트 concept of an ¡°essay crisis¡±, which is described as ¡°an obscure barb relating to one university degree¡± ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 more general suffering that it is. At times, I was left wondering if 바카라사이트y have ever met anyone with ano바카라사이트r degree from a different university.

The scattergun criticisms are also over 바카라사이트 top. For instance, 바카라사이트 book says that Westminster lobby journalists exist to enable government ministers to avoid speaking to specialist media. This is full-on nonsense. The lobby is 바카라사이트re to report parliamentary affairs, and you only have to open a newspaper to see how often ministers interact with specialist journalists.

The proposed policy ideas for solving 바카라사이트 supposed problems in how we are governed are minnows. Getting journalists to explain 바카라사이트ir incorrect predictions, having a little more scrutiny of officials by select committees and encouraging recruitment from 바카라사이트 whole Russell Group, not just Oxbridge, are tiny changes if 바카라사이트 problems identified in this book are anywhere near 바카라사이트 whole truth.

Nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 lack of evidence nor 바카라사이트 specific policy conclusions are 바카라사이트 biggest flaw, however. It is 바카라사이트 overarching narrative, which assumes all would be well if only we were to put 바카라사이트 ¡°experts¡± in charge. That sounds lovely, but it leaves three questions hanging. Ironically, given 바카라사이트 book¡¯s obsession with PPE, one is philosophical, one political and one economic.

First, to which experts should we listen? In higher education, are 바카라사이트 experts 바카라사이트 students, 바카라사이트 staff or 바카라사이트 arm¡¯s-length bodies with long institutional memories? It can¡¯t be all of 바카라사이트m because 바카라사이트y often disagree and dialogue becomes bogged down. Indeed, non-experts are critical to good governance because 바카라사이트y cure blockages.

Second, what does expertise mean? The authors assume that politicians, civil servants and journalists cannot be experts because 바카라사이트y move from role to role and topic to topic. But this process makes 바카라사이트m expert in, respectively, political matters, keeping 바카라사이트 show on 바카라사이트 road and conveying news. Those are vocational specialisms. It may be unfashionable to say so, but 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s post-war economic success relied more on 바카라사이트 skills and expertise of those in Whitehall and Westminster than luck or ¡°blagging¡±. So will delivering success after Brexit.

Finally, how can we give experts all 바카라사이트 power when 바카라사이트ir main demand is generally ¡°more money¡±? That is not an answer because, once you have given 바카라사이트 education and health experts 바카라사이트ir extra resources, you will not have enough left for those in defence and housing. Someone has to intervene. It is regrettable that 바카라사이트 PPE graduates who wrote this book have forgotten that economics is, above all, 바카라사이트 study of scarcity.

Nick Hillman is 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and previously worked as special adviser in Whitehall.

Bluffocracy
By James Ball and Andrew Greenway
Biteback, 128pp, ?10.00
ISBN 9781785904110
Published 16 August 2018