Our economic problems worry me much less than our…

“Our economic problems worry me much less than our political solutions, which have a far worse track record.”

Thomas Sowell

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Economic issues are less concerning than flawed political solutions, which have historically performed poorly.

In simple terms: Politics often fails economics.

Key Takeaway

Critique policies critically.

Themes

economics politics policy analysis

Mood

analytical critical

Type

philosophical advice

When to use this quote

government reform
public budgeting
social programs

Key Concepts

history systems thinking

Questions to Reflect On

What evidence supports this claim?
How can better solutions be designed?

A Different Perspective

Political bias can skew analysis.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Thomas Sowell

The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…

Thomas Sowell

There is no bigger waste of time than doing 90% of what is necessary.

Thomas Sowell

If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten…

Thomas Sowell

“In 1962, Democratic President John F. Kennedy, like both Democratic and Republican Presidents and Secretaries of the Treasury in earlier years, pointed out that “it…

Thomas Sowell

Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…

Thomas Sowell

Bailing out people who made ill-advised mortgages makes no more sense that bailing out people who lost their life savings in Las Vegas casinos.

Thomas Sowell

“One third of all Scots in the mid-nineteenth century moved from one county to another”

Thomas Sowell

The difference is that we have the hardest and most painful evidence that there was a Holocaust. But, for the global warming scenario that…

Thomas Sowell

“Just as price fluctuations allocate scarce resources which have alternative uses, price controls which limit those fluctuations reduce the incentives for individuals to limit…

Thomas Sowell

The greatest danger to the liberal vision are facts about the consequences of liberalism itself and the laws, policies, and ways of life that…

Thomas Sowell

Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…

Thomas Sowell

Do all children have some inherent right to live in America if they have done nothing wrong? If not, then why should the children…

Thomas Sowell

What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…

Thomas Sowell

“those parts of the British Isles without the advantage of coal deposits or ports, industrialization was as handicapped as in other countries.”

Thomas Sowell

The whole idea of equal justice under law is completely incompatible with the idea of judges deciding cases according to "empathy".

Thomas Sowell

Explore all 823 Thomas Sowell quotes

More Economic quotes

It makes no sense to talk of the social obligations of the corporation without reference to its economic obligations. The two are intertwined.

Lee R. Raymond

Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…

Christopher Bond

I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…

Brian Reade

The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…

Carl Schmitt

Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…

Sheila Kamerman

Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs [Less Developed Countries]?... I…

Lawrence Summers

The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…

Roland Merullo

Right now, for many Americans, class is being foregrounded like never before because of the economic situation. It doesn't mean that race doesn't matter,…

Bell Hooks

The average well-being of our societies is not dependent any longer on national income and economic growth. ... But the differences between us and…

Richard G. Wilkinson

Fossil fuels, including oil, are running out and supplies are getting harder to find. If we do nothing, prices will continue to rise and…

Lucy Powell

Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…

F. A. Harper

Business school graduates from the best schools earn large salaries and frequently rise to positions of great power. It would be nice if they…

Jeffrey Pfeffer

In short, both experience and economic theory imply that the US could now t to a more competitive dollar without experiencing either increased inflation…

Martin Feldstein