Quotes About Politics

economist Abba Lerner noted in the 1970s, "Economics has gained the title Queen of the Social Sciences by choosing solved political problems as its domain.

Those controlling political power will eventually find it more beneficial to use their power to limit competition, to increase their share of the pie, or even to steal and loot from others rather than support economic progress. The distribution and ability to exercise power will ultimately undermine the very foundations of economic prosperity

it is the political institutions of a nation that determine the ability of citizens to control politicians and influence how they behave. This in turn determines whether politicians are agents of the citizens, albeit imperfect, or are able to abuse the power entrusted to them, or that they have usurped, to amass their own fortunes and to pursue their own agendas, ones detrimental to those of the citizens.

the iron law of oligarchy.

En muchos casos, por ejemplo, como veremos en Argentina, Colombia y Egipto, este fracaso adopta la forma de falta de actividad económica suficiente, porque los políticos están encantados de extraer recursos o de aplastar cualquier tipo de actividad económica independiente que los amenace a ellos y a las élites económicas.

Many citizens in Rome did not need to work: they lived off the handouts from the government.

The synergies between extractive economic and political institutions create a vicious circle, where extractive institutions, once in place, tend to persist. Similarly, there is a virtuous circle associated with inclusive economic and political institutions.

Hua could not repudiate the Cultural Revolution, and this weakened him. He was also a comparative newcomer to the centers of power, and he lacked the web of connections and informal relations that Deng had built up over many years.

We have to understand why the politics of some societies lead to inclusive institutions that foster economic growth, while the politics of the vast majority of societies throughout history has led, and still leads today, to extractive institutions that hamper economic growth.

Fear of creative destruction is often at the root of the opposition to inclusive economic and political institutions.

Poor countries are poor because those who have power make choices that create poverty. They get it wrong not by mistake or ignorance but on purpose. To understand this, you have to go beyond economics and expert advice on the best thing to do and, instead, study how decisions actually get made, who gets to make them, and why those people decide to do what they do. This is the study of politics and political processes.

The solution to the economic and political failure of nations today is to transform their extractive institutions toward inclusive ones. The vicious circle means that this is not easy. But it is not impossible, and the iron law of oligarchy is not inevitable. Either some preexisting inclusive elements in institutions, or the presence of broad coalitions leading the fight against the existing regime, or just the contingent nature of history, can break vicious circles.

Creative destruction redistributes not simply income and wealth, but also political power

teorías clásicas de la sociología política, la teoría de la modernización, formulada por Seymour Martin Lipset, que defiende que todas las sociedades, cuando crecen, se dirigen a una existencia más moderna, desarrollada y civilizada y, en particular, hacia la democracia.

Tradicionalmente, la economía ha ignorado la política, pero la comprensión de la política resulta esencial para explicar la desigualdad del mundo.

La política es el proceso mediante el cual una sociedad elige las reglas que la gobernarán

Humans elect leaders on the basis of the promises they make. We [vampires] try to elect ours based solely on the strength of their character.

I don't think Arra voted for me in the election, Kurda said humorously. I didn't vote for you either, Vanez said, with a wicked grin. See what an average day is like for me, Darren? Kurda groaned. Half the vampires here love to rub my nose in the fact that they didn't vote for me, while the half who did almost never admit it in public, for fear the others would look down their noses at them.

Did you make this clear when you were seeking election? Mr. Crepsley asked. Kurda shifted uncomfortably. Well, no, but that's politics. Sometimes you have to hold things back. I didn't lie about it. If anyone had asked me for my views on the Stone, I'd have told them. They just... didn't... ask, he finished lamely. Politics ! Mr. Crepsley huffed. It is a sad day for vampires when our Princes voluntarily ensnare themselves in the despicable webs of politics.

The United States tried, by depressing the clutch of diplomacy and downshifting the gearshift lever of rhetoric, to remain neutral, but it became increasingly obvious that the nation was going to get into a war, especially since it was almost 1812.

When I read this, naturally my reaction as a concerned American was hahahahahahahahaha.

The issue is complex, but like many matters in Sudan, it is not as complex as Khartoum would want the west to believe.

We've sent over 180 million frowns from the U.S alone, and you can bet that has an effect on the regime.

It was no longer exotic to have a gay presidential candidate. In fact, since the advent of the Indiana mayor—never president but now a senator—no presidential election had been without one. Though, to be sure, every gay candidate had been in a certain mold—