Every Decision Has Consequences. Not All Are Intended.
The best ideas don't always produce the best results.
Governments make policies to solve problems. Businesses make decisions to improve performance. Regulators introduce rules to protect us. Experts recommend changes based on evidence. And occasionally somebody has an idea that seems so obviously sensible that everyone wonders why we weren't doing it already.
Then reality gets involved.
People change their behaviour. Businesses adapt. Markets react. Costs appear somewhere unexpected. One problem is solved and another quietly takes its place.
Sometimes the cure turns out to be more expensive than the disease.
Welcome to Unintended Consequences.
We look at decisions that seemed like a good idea at the time and ask a very simple question:
What happened next?