Category Archives: conservatives and liberals

Abundance

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November 2, 2025 —  In search of an alternative vision to MAGA that might appeal to common-sense working Americans, some Democrats have rallied around the word “abundance.”  That is the title of a recent book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, touted as a once-in-a-generation, paradigm-shifting revelation.

To begin, let me say that Ezra Klein is one of my favorite columnists and podcasters.

To the extent that abundance can be used as an effective political slogan, I am all ears.  In its favor, “abundance” is short enough to fit onto a bumper sticker, the word is neither too common in speech nor too uncommon, and it sounds like something we should all want.  It could fulfill the purpose of Democrats admitting past mistakes, which at this point is de rigueur if they are to develop an effective political strategy.  But abundance seems to me an arrow that is not particularly well-aimed. read more

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Do Voters Pursue Their Economic Self-Interest?

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September 29, 2025 — As US President Donald Trump goes further and further off the rails in his demolition of long-standing rules and norms, it remains puzzling why so many Americans voted for him and continue to support him.  It is especially puzzling why so many lower and middle-income Americans support him, since his policies tend to their economic disadvantage.  Cutting federal spending on Medicaid and many other government services while simultaneously extending massive tax cuts for high-income households, does not sound crowd-pleasing populism.  But perhaps this is only puzzling to economists. read more

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The Historical Puzzle of US Economic Performance under Democrats vs. Republicans

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March 28, 2024 — We have heard much about the puzzle that US economic performance under President Joe Biden has been much stronger than voters perceive it to be.  But the current episode is just one instance of a bigger historical puzzle:  the US economy has since World War II consistently done better under Democratic presidents than under Republican presidents.  This fact is even less widely known, including among Democratic voters, than the truth about Biden’s term.  Indeed, some poll results suggest that more Americans believe the reverse, that Republican presidents are better stewards of the economy than Democrats. read more

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