Advice and Dissent

Why America Suffers When Economics and Politics Collide

By: Alan S. Blinder

Narrated by: Mel Foster

A bestselling economist tells us what both politicians and economists must learn to fix America's failing economic policies.

American economic policy ranks as something between bad and disgraceful. As leading economist Alan S. Blinder argues, a crucial cultural divide separates economic and political civilizations. Economists and politicians often talk - and act - at cross purposes: politicians typically seek economists' "advice" only to support preconceived notions, not to learn what economists actually know or believe. Politicians naturally worry about keeping constituents happy and winning elections. Some are devoted to an ideology. Economists sometimes overlook the real human costs of what may seem to be the obviously best policy - to a calculating machine. In Advice and Dissent, Blinder shows how both sides can shrink the yawning gap between good politics and good economics and encourage the hardheaded but softhearted policies our country so desperately needs.

©2018 Alan S. Blinder. (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

An important description of how we get better economic policy

The author has served in Washington as an economic advisor and shares much of what he has seen regarding economic policy implementation by politicians and technocrats. Taxation, global trade, income inequality and many more issues are covered from an economists perspective, but the implementation of policy in many cases is flawed and counter productive. Very glad author wrote this book. A great message for those who care about our country and want all the best for its people.