To get ahead in politics, leaders need a blend of naive populism and realistic cynicism. No wonder the modal politician has a law degree. Dye and Zeigler report that “70 percent of the presidents, vice presidents, and cabinet officers of the United States and more than 50 percent of the U.S. senators and House members” have been lawyers.14 The economic role of government has greatly expanded since the New Deal, but the percentage of congressmen with economic training remains negligible.15 Economic issues are important to voters, but they do not want politicians with economic
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