I've been hearing this concept lately from political talking heads. They express the feeling that it's getting impossible to sell an idea simply on it's merit, regardless how valid the idea is.
This is a good problem because it's bringing the issue to the table. There is an assumption when this argument is made that there was a time when logic ruled the world and good ideas where implemented.
From what I read this does not seem to be true. There does seem to have been a greater acceptance of long term solutions in the past; but I don' think that has to do with rationality as much as the decision makers having a greater stake in the solutions. The concerns had more to do with regionality than rationality.
The more national local politics get, the lesser the direct consequences for the policy makers .
