The fact that a relatively obscure but well organized émigré lobby can dictate the foreign policy of the country like the US is prima facie case of transaction cost minimization, no? Normalizing relationships with Cuba would have a generally beneficial but diffused effect on the US economy, but would antagonize the anti-Castro nuts who can throw the monkey wrench to FLA elections. As a result, the US administration sides with the interests of the ant-Castro nuts over the more diffuse business interests.
Again, the bottom line is that much of human and organizational behavior is driven by path dependencies and transaction cost minimization (wag-the-dog behavior) rather than profit maximization - a fact that self-styled conspiracy theorists and neo-classical econ fanatics apparently do not grasp.
Wojtek