Scott Alexander presents a satirical presidential platform with outlandish and humorous policy proposals, critiquing various aspects of American politics and society. Longer summary

Scott Alexander presents a satirical presidential platform with outlandish and humorous policy proposals. The post covers a range of topics including naval supremacy, sovereign citizens, climate change, military service, Supreme Court appointments, education, internet privacy, and cultural issues. Each proposal is presented with a mix of historical references, current events, and absurd logic, creating a comedic critique of American politics and society. Shorter summary

Scott proposes politicians pledge to change prediction markets' forecasts instead of making direct outcome pledges, using Biden's emissions pledge as an example. Longer summary

Scott Alexander proposes that instead of making pledges about future outcomes, politicians should pledge to change prediction markets' forecasts about those outcomes. He uses Biden's pledge to halve US emissions by 2030 as an example, noting that such long-term pledges are often unfulfilled. Scott suggests that Biden could instead pledge to make Metaculus (or another prediction market) show a 51%+ chance of meeting the emissions target by the end of his term. This approach would require Biden to take concrete actions that convince forecasters of the likelihood of success. The post discusses potential objections to this idea, including the impact of future administrations, attempts to manipulate markets, and whether this might disrupt important political processes. Shorter summary