摘要：In this paper we first describe the legal and administrative basis of mandates thatvariously require and eschew economic measures for environmental management. We thensummarize the steps involved in benefit-cost analysis and what can and cannot beaccomplished with such information. Our basic conclusion is that while the approach is notperfect, benefit-cost analysis has a solid methodological footing and provides a valuableperformance measure for an important governmental function, improving the well-being ofsociety. However, benefit-cost analysis requires analytical judgements which, if done poorly,can obfuscate an issue or worse, provide a refuge for scoundrels in the policy debate. Weconclude the article with specific suggestions for both the everyday performance of benefit-cost analysis and its use in policy decision-making.
