Political Pandering

by Russ Roberts on May 8, 2007

in Trade, Video

Here’s a video of a recent speech I gave at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution on the peculiar economics of political pandering:

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{ 8 comments }

Lee May 8, 2007 at 1:55 pm

Thanks. I enjoyed that.

tw May 8, 2007 at 2:00 pm

Watched the first half of it & loved your Matsusaka comparison as well as your Japan v. China comparison…..you nailed both of those!

But I've got to say there is some humor in the video clip….the poor cameraman trying to follow you from left to right to left to right. :o )

Bruce G Charlton May 8, 2007 at 2:31 pm

This was very enjoyable but *terribly* jerky on my computer. Still – I persevered.

I actually watched the Daisuke matchup against the Yankees here in the UK (as a very remote Red Sox supporter) – so I felt very much 'in' on the baseball jokes…

M. Hodak May 8, 2007 at 2:41 pm

Very enjoyable. I agree that economic education is the ultimate remedy for the cynicism you so beautifully outlined, but how do we get that to happen when schools keep teaching this?

Methinks May 8, 2007 at 3:13 pm

Incredible. I loved it.

The video didn't come through but I loved the audio!

Thanks.

Brad May 8, 2007 at 6:31 pm

Interesting thesis. Amazing delivery. Really, if there could be a libertarian rap battle between you and, say, Dick Armey, spectators would wonder how a back bencher ever became the 3rd most powerful person in Washington.

But back to the thesis… I take away that you think politicians pander with the proposals (e.g. raise minimum wage, reinstitute the death tax, etc.). Do you think they are also pandering in observing the crisis? Lots of people want to hear really bad news because it confirms their world view.

Martin Ingall May 8, 2007 at 9:21 pm

Russell Roberts, one of the great economic thinkers and teachers today! Two questions. First, how can we get you into the public arena even more so? Second, it seems timely that a serious study is done on the Bible's economics, through the prism of seasoned free marketeers. Who among you reading this thinks such a book would have great success?

Jason May 10, 2007 at 9:08 am

Russ,
I didn't know you were so good at speechifyin'! I listen to your econtalk podcast every week (more than that since I am almost done going through the archives), so I wasn't surprised by the content. Very well done! I was just talking about why the trade deficit is not a big deal to my father-in-law last Saturday. I'm going to send him the link to your speech. Do you have any other speeches recorded anywhere?

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