 To motivate idealization, consider how public justification fares without it. Populist views “take citizens as they are: the default populist position is that a rationale \(R\) counts as a public justification only if the members of the public find \(R\) acceptable in light of their existing [subjective motivational sets], irrespective of their epistemic pockmarks and doxastic defects” (Eberle 2002, 200). Populist conceptions of idealization have severe problems.  People can “withhold their assent because of obstinacy, selfishness, laziness, perversity, or confusion” (Gaus 1996, 121). Populism also problematically requires asking everyone about their reasons before deciding whether a coercive law is justified.