In political science, a principle-policy puzzle is a disconnect between support for a principle and support for a policy supporting that principle.
The primary example is the apparent inconsistency between American support of the principle of racial equality, and lack of support of a policy intended to achieve racial equality, especially among those most politically aware. The seeming paradox is explained by noting that lack of support for affirmative action comes from conservative ideology, such that opponents of government policies intended to realize racial equality are not necessarily hypocrites. Individuals may also agree with the principle but feel that the policies do not actually help to achieve the stated principle.
A more global example is the strong international desire for a clean and health environment compared to the lack of enthusiasm for the type of regulations and taxes that would be needed to achieve this.
Famous quotes containing the word puzzle:
“Scholars and artists thrown together are often annoyed at the puzzle of where they differ. Both work from knowledge; but I suspect they differ most importantly in the way their knowledge is come by. Scholars get theirs with conscientious thoroughness along projected lines of logic; poets theirs cavalierly and as it happens in and out of books. They stick to nothing deliberately, but let what will stick to them like burrs where they walk in the fields.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)