A Monetary and Fiscal History of the United States, 1961-2021

De: Alan S. Blinder

Narrado por: Todd McLaren

From the New York Times bestselling author, the fascinating story of US economic policy from Kennedy to COVID—filled with lessons for today

In this book, Alan Blinder, one of the world's most influential economists and one of the field's best writers, draws on his deep firsthand experience to provide an authoritative account of sixty years of monetary and fiscal policy in the United States. Spanning twelve presidents, from John F. Kennedy to Joe Biden, and eight Federal Reserve chairs, from William McChesney Martin to Jerome Powell, this is an insider's story of macroeconomic policy that hasn't been told before—one that is a pleasure to listen to, and as interesting as it is important.

Focusing on the most significant developments and long-term changes, Blinder traces the highs and lows of monetary and fiscal policy, which have by turns cooperated and clashed through many recessions and several long booms over the past six decades. From the fiscal policy of Kennedy's New Frontier to Biden's responses to the pandemic, the book takes listeners through the stagflation of the 1970s, the conquest of inflation under Jimmy Carter and Paul Volcker, the rise of Reaganomics, and the bubbles of the 2000s before bringing the story up through recent events—including the financial crisis, the Great Recession, and monetary policy during COVID-19.

©2022 Alan S. Blinder (P)2022 Ascent Audio

Tremendous clarity and objectivity

This deeply insightful and extraordinarily well-researched history lays out the major levers of fiscal and monetary policy, and how various historical actors pulled them over the last 60 years all the way up to President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It makes clear that Republicans have scarcely any commitment to fiscal conservatism and bear the primary responsibility for driving up the largest increases in the Federal debt. If you’re looking for a clear and objective analysis of monetary and fiscal positions over time, this is a great read.

Great and easy reading for experienced professional economists

Alan Blinder has an easy prose that reads like a comforting novel for economists like myself who have a PhD and worked at the Fed, IMF, World Bank, Hedge Fund industry, and a G20 ministry of finance. No true surprises here for us but a great overarching view on monetary and fiscal policy in the United States in the last 60 years. A must read for young economists and professors teaching US economic history (and history of macroeconomic thought).

Great!

Not meant for a general audience.
Great for econ folks wanting to listen to an extensive lit review.

Listen for Nixon's Sake

The democrat-good republican-bad bias was unexpected and a little much. Often D's policy efforts are treated as right-minded w/o need for justification, while R policies are described as one-dimensional, herd politics, and occasionally even mean-spirited. Some good food for thought, though. Narration is fantastic, particularly enjoyed quotes from Nixon :).

Many duplications in verbal text

Sentences duplicated a dozen or so times during performance, as if editor didn’t do a final check. The performance itself is excellent but the editing has this irritating flaw. Amazon should do better for the price it charges for audible books.