Future-Generation Government: How to Legislate for the Long Term

In the decades preceding COVID-19 there were nine pandemics or near-pandemics, from SARS to Ebola. Despite this turbulent recent history, many governments were unprepared for the recent pandemic and remain ill-equipped for the next. Our impact on future generations has never been greater, and the challenges we face will increasingly play out over the long term. Climate change is accelerating, antibiotic resistance is rising, underground aquifers are depleting, natural disasters catch us off guard, fish stocks are dwindling, and automation and population aging may transform our economies. Drawing on insights from behavioural science, Future-Generation Government offers a fresh perspective on short-termism and proposes clear, practical reforms that can help leaders respond to tomorrow’s challenges without compromising today’s democratic rights and freedoms. People value the present over the future, research shows, so governments balance the scales by rewarding future-planning behaviours: granting tax deductions for retirement savings or supporting educational savings, for example. Future-Generation Government explains how individuals, in turn, should reward our governments for making durable policy decisions that anticipate future crises.

Nicholas Chesterley is a behavioural economist and public servant. He lives in Ottawa.