The State and Social Engineering

Kathryn Rose writes at LabourList to suggest that the Coalition government may be engaging in various forms of social engineering. Cutting child benefits is social engineering because it encourages the poor to have fewer children. Recognising marriage in the tax system is social engineering because it encourages marriage. Higher tuition fees is social engineering because it encourages poorer students to live at home longer to save money.

Concluding her piece Ms Rose asks:

Are they indulging in social engineering, you decide…

The answer is, of course, yes they are. But Ms Rose has so completely failed to understand what she's talking about. Every government engages in social engineering. In fact it cannot do otherwise. Society adapts according to the rules. Government's (unfortunately) make the rules. Therefore, any time the State does anything it is engaging in social engineering.

What irritates me more than simply her inability to realise this is that she cannot understand, seemingly, what she is writing herself. She argues that reducing child benefits is social engineering because it encourages people to have fewer children. Apparently, though, it hasn't occurred to her that this must mean that raising child benefits is also social engineering.