In regards to your comment about 'this will optimize X,' it reminded me of article [0] I read recently. The main point of it is to 'beware the local maxima.' Governments seem to focus on one goal at a time, the X, and seem to disregard effect to other variables: they care only about the local maxima.

[0]: http://www.iafrikan.com/2014/07/07/beware-the-local-maxima-p...