Political myopia

Political myopia stems from the inability of policymakers to give serious attention to problems whose effects may not be fully visible for several years. If effects are unlikely to become apparent prior to a politician's's departure, then the problem gets put aside in favour of those whose effects can be used to bolster prestige. The long-term result of political myopia is that problems are passed on to succeeding generations.

An example of political myopia is the failure to instigate a ban on the manufacture and stockpiling of nuclear weapons, following the explosions at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.