I get that it’s because you need to be elected etc, but why isn’t this a common practise for experts to run and be put in these positions? For example the minister of health should be something along the lines of a doctor or many years of experience in the business of the relevant health service
In: Economics
* The politicians often, or are at least expected to, consult with experts in their fields.
* Being good at your job and knowing a lot about your subject don’t always align. Leading a department involves leadership, management, and a dozen other skills before your competence with the subject comes in.
* Experts frequently disagree. It would be nice to live in a world where we understand stuff perfectly, but we don’t. Sometimes experts in the same field disagree, it happens, so someone needs to make the final choice. Sometimes, even if a consensus within a field is reached, different fields clash. For example, covid19, most reputable medical professionals were calling for lockdowns, isolation etc. However, at the same time, experts in economics and business were saying such things would have devastating consequences on much of the economy. So, who gets to choose which side gets their expertise made into policy?
* As a small extra point. Much of a health service is not run by Doctors. This is so Doctors can actually focus on being doctors and the massive backroom administrative side can handle everything else. So which of those actually understands what is going on within the hospital? The doctor might be the expert on health, but the lead admin probably is the expert on hospitals. Which would make a better Minister for Health?
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