I should probably link this to Olaf's comment above, but I won't to buy me some time to hide from his lightning wit & temper. Moving towards an evidence-based policy system would be an enormous benefit towards society as a whole. I can agree that it doesn't necessarily favour the idiotologies of the left or right but that hardly makes it neutral. That is like saying evidence based medicine doesn't favour cardiologists or nephrologists so lets call it a wash. Who cares which doctor wins if fewer patients die?

To me the effectiveness of an evidence-based approach is determined by how much of government decision making is de-politicized. To the extent this happens, it marginalizes the extremes on both the sides of the spectrum. It may also make politics less interesting but hell we will always have biker babes, busty hookers and the occasional stuffed envelope to keep things fun.

Its a trick question, if you roll down the car windows there is no difference.

Gee it also sounds like Holiday Inn Express, American Express, Western Canada Express, Fergus-Elora News Express, Greyhound Express, Polar Bear Express... wonder why they all sound alike?