--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A politically astute president who…" description: "\"A politically astute president who understood deeply the economics and politics of corporate tax reform could conceivably muscle Congress toward a refo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/joseph-stiglitz-1351_economics_a-politically-astute-president-who-under_2614696.jpg" --- # A politically astute president who understood deeply the… ![“A politically astute president who understood deeply the economics and politics of corporate tax reform could conceivably muscle Congress toward a reform package that made sense. Trump is not that leader.” quote by Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/joseph-stiglitz-1351_economics_a-politically-astute-president-who-under_2614696.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/joseph-stiglitz-1351_economics_a-politically-astute-president-who-under_2614696.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/joseph-stiglitz-1351_economics_a-politically-astute-president-who-under_2614696.jpg) > “A politically astute president who understood deeply the economics and politics of corporate tax reform could conceivably muscle Congress toward a reform package that made sense. Trump is not that leader.” [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A knowledgeable president could steer tax reform, but current leadership lacks that capability. **In simple terms:** Leadership expertise is needed for tax reform. Key Takeaway Advocate for informed economic leadership. Themes politics tax policy leadership Mood critical concerned Type analytical political When to use this quote - legislative debates - policy think tanks - public advocacy - election campaigns Key Concepts economic reform government accountability Questions to Reflect On - What qualities make a leader effective in tax policy? - How can citizens influence tax reform? 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It is about ensuring that everyone pays their fair share. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/we-all-want-a-simpler-code-but-tax-reform-is-about-much-more-it-is/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) > [We must move from revenue-neutral to revenue-reducing tax reform, because the federal government spends far too much money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/we-must-move-from-revenue-neutral-to-revenue-reducing-tax-reform/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee - the chief tax-writing body in Congress - I understand that true comprehensive tax reform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brady/as-chairman-of-the-house-ways-and-means-committee-the-chief-tax/) [Kevin Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brady/) > [If you don't try to generate more revenues through tax reform, if you don't ask, you know, the most fortunate Americans to bear a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-geithner/if-you-don-t-try-to-generate-more-revenues-through-tax-reform-if-you/) [Timothy Geithner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-geithner/) > [Maybe I should get back to the music-writing phase and write one on tax reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-hatch/maybe-i-should-get-back-to-the-music-writing-phase-and-write-one-on/) [Orrin Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-hatch/) > [When I worked in the White House for President Carter, we tried to do comprehensive tax reform and we made some progress, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rubenstein/when-i-worked-in-the-white-house-for-president-carter-we-tried-to-do/) [David Rubenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rubenstein/) > [I think we can have some tax reform, but that doesn't mean tax increases. We ought to make the, the rates flatter. We ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-think-we-can-have-some-tax-reform-but-that-doesn-t-mean-tax/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [My No. 1 priority is growth in the economy. Tax reform will be our first and most important part of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mnuchin/my-no-1-priority-is-growth-in-the-economy-tax-reform-will-be-our/) [Steve Mnuchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mnuchin/) > [I can't see the Democrats working with Donald Trump on tax reform unless the rich get soaked. The thing about this that should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-can-t-see-the-democrats-working-with-donald-trump-on-tax-reform/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) ## More by Joseph Stiglitz > [I grew up in a family in which political issues were often discussed, and debated intensely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/i-grew-up-in-a-family-in-which-political-issues-were-often-discussed/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [But individuals and firms spend an enormous amount of resources acquiring information, which affects their beliefs; and actions of others too affect their beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/but-individuals-and-firms-spend-an-enormous-amount-of-resources/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [China, with its large emerging middle class, is among the big beneficiaries of globalization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/china-with-its-large-emerging-middle-class-is-among-the-big/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [Trickle-down economics is a myth. Enriching corporations - as the TPP would - will not necessarily help those in the middle, let alone those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/trickle-down-economics-is-a-myth-enriching-corporations-as-the-tpp/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [Some people say we have this inequality because some people have been contributing much more to our society, and so it's fair that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/some-people-say-we-have-this-inequality-because-some-people-have-been/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [It's actually a tribute to the quality of economics teaching that they have persuaded so many generations of students to believe in so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/it-s-actually-a-tribute-to-the-quality-of-economics-teaching-that/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [In an economy, when the government spends more and invests in the economy, that money circulates, and recirculates again and again. So not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/in-an-economy-when-the-government-spends-more-and-invests-in-the/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [The laws of normal economics dictate that lower taxes combined with increased spending will lead to bigger deficits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/the-laws-of-normal-economics-dictate-that-lower-taxes-combined-with/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [A less healthy America is not going to be as productive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/a-less-healthy-america-is-not-going-to-be-as-productive/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [As I noted in my Nobel lecture, an early insight in my work on the economics of information concerned the problem of appropriability -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/as-i-noted-in-my-nobel-lecture-an-early-insight-in-my-work-on-the/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [We noted the psychological problems facing many of the returning from Iraq veterans - of the 700,000 returning veterans, more than a 100,000 have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/we-noted-the-psychological-problems-facing-many-of-the-returning-from/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [World War II was really unusual, because America was in the Great Depression before. So the war did help the US economy to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/world-war-ii-was-really-unusual-because-america-was-in-the-great/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [Moreover, because we chose to finance the way by borrowing, our deficits and debt has soared, and this means we have less room for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/moreover-because-we-chose-to-finance-the-way-by-borrowing-our/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [I've always been sceptical about the notion that the market is a person you can engage in an argument with, and that that person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/i-ve-always-been-sceptical-about-the-notion-that-the-market-is-a/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [The striking thing about America is - it's historically, extraordinary unusual,I don't of any other instance - is that productivity of workers and wages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/the-striking-thing-about-america-is-it-s-historically-extraordinary/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) [Explore all 251 Joseph Stiglitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) ## More Economics quotes > [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. 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Psychologists watch what they actually do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/economists-think-about-what-people-ought-to-do-psychologists-watch/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Economists have a singular method of procedure. There are only two kinds of institutions for them, artificial and natural. 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