Published February 4, 2026 | Version 1.0
Working paper Open

The Political Dysfunction Tax

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Institute for Accelerated Medicine

Description

This report introduces the Political Dysfunction Tax ($T_{pd}$): the implicit levy paid to entropy through governance inefficiency. By constructing a Waste Ledger (military overspend, administrative friction, incarceration costs) and an Opportunity Ledger (suppressed health innovation, migration restrictions, lead poisoning), we calculate a Global Governance Efficiency Score of 30-52%. Current governance destroys $101 trillion annually in unrealized potential, including $34T from delayed cures, $57T from migration restrictions, and $6T from lead exposure, suggesting civilization operates far below its technological possibilities.

Notes

Category: Academic Paper, Public Policy, Political Science, Economics | Genre: Political Science, Welfare Economics, Public Policy | Target Audience: Researchers, Policy Makers, Economists, Political Scientists

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Subjects

Governance Efficiency
Political Economy
Welfare Economics
Public Choice