The Economists Who Got It Right

Politicians say they can "make the economy work better."

I once believed they could.

But years of reporting taught me that politicians' attempts to "fix" the economy usually make things worse.

Twenty years ago, Republicans and Democrats helped create the Great Recession by telling government-backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy more peoples' mortgages because, as President George W. Bush put it, "Owning a home is a part of (the American) dream."