Advice and Dissent Quotes

“Similarly, if we ever get immigration reform, it will likely be forged in a series of political compromises with no coherent principles or philosophy. I”
― Alan S. Blinder, Advice and Dissent: Why America Suffers When Economics and Politics Collide

“As Upton Sinclair sardonically noted, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”
― Alan S. Blinder, Advice and Dissent: Why America Suffers When Economics and Politics Collide

“The full truth is that trade does create some (hopefully better-paying) jobs, but it also destroys other (lower-paying) jobs. But that’s a complex, even equivocal, message.”
― Alan S. Blinder, Advice and Dissent: Why America Suffers When Economics and Politics Collide

“On a number of issues, a bipartisan majority of the [economics] profession would unite on the opposite side from a bipartisan majority of Congress. —Arthur Okun (1970)”
― Alan S. Blinder, Advice and Dissent: Why America Suffers When Economics and Politics Collide

“But when Stigler was put in front of the TV cameras, lights blazing, and asked about supply-side economics, the iconoclastic economist opined that “it’s a gimmick, or, if you wish, a slogan.” Ouch. That didn’t help Ronald Reagan. I presume it didn’t help George Stigler either, who was quickly hustled off stage.”
― Alan S. Blinder, Advice and Dissent: Why America Suffers When Economics and Politics Collide

“There are far more cases in which politicians knew what they wanted to do, and then just leaned on economics—sometimes very bad economics—for support.”
― Alan S. Blinder, Advice and Dissent: Why America Suffers When Economics and Politics Collide

“Politicians use economics in the same way that a drunk uses lamp-posts—for support rather than illumination. —variation on a theme of Andrew Lang (1910)”
― Alan S. Blinder, Advice and Dissent: Why America Suffers When Economics and Politics Collide