The pub test is a standard used in Australian politics to judge policies, proposals, and decisions. It is a hypothetical test of the social acceptability of something, such as a government policy or a certain behavior, as though by asking the average patron in an Australian pub whether they would understand and accept it to be fair if it came up in conversation. The test may also be applied to individual people, such as politicians, to determine whether the average Australian drinker would perceive them as authentic and likable. Despite its widespread use, the pub test has been criticized on several grounds. Some argue that pub patrons do not actually represent public opinion, while others dismiss pubs as unreliable places for productive intellectual discussion. Another argument is that requiring policies to reflect ordinary voters preferences ensures mediocrity, or that assessing some proposals in the first place requires detailed technical knowledge these voters lack.