Decision analysis evaluates options in terms of their expected utility, the expected amount of good. Many regulatory decisions require estimates of utility, which is not the same as monetary outcomes or other objectively measurable quantities. I review some of the problems of utility measurement...

In two studies, subjects judged the desirability of distributions of life expectancy or money. Their judgments showed declining marginal utility. That is, they were less sensitive to changes at the high end of each scale. Subjects also made utility ratings of the outcomes of individuals. And...

In hypothetical scenarios involving two groups (nations or groups of workers), subjects voted on three proposals: one helped group A (their group), one helped B, and one helped both groups, more than the average of the first two but less than their maximum. When subjects voted for one proposal,...