One can generally look at the stated values of the people advocating for a policy, and then run objective studies on whether that policy produces outcomes in li

One can generally look at the stated values of the people advocating for a policy, and then run objective studies on whether that policy produces outcomes in line with those stated values. A lot of people, confronted with proof that their favorite policy does not do what they want, will simply deny the science and continue to believe that this policy is concordant with their values. Some policies are also bad enough that one can safely say that no reasonable mainstream set of values could endorse it without denying the actual facts of the matter - for instance, re-introducing lead and asbestos is just plain Not A Good Idea for any set of values worth discussing, despite the fact that there are most assuredly a few sociopaths out there who'd be happy to make a buck gutting those regulations. I've no personal experience with "rent control" but I get the impression that the people saying it's a bad idea genuinely mean one of these two cases, not simply a difference of values. Whether the science actually agrees with them, however, is quite beyond my expertise :)