Obama Brain Trust's Key 'Ism' Is Pragmatism

Team of behavioral economists bucks convention, ideology

By Jonas Oransky, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 29, 2008 9:38 AM CST

(Newser) – Barack Obama’s brain trust leans heavily on behavioral economics, the New Republic reports, with academics who start small in their analyses—looking at everyday anomalies—and are relatively ideology-free pragmatists. From his top economic adviser to his health-care and Social Security aides, Obama is surrounded not by "big-think public intellectuals," but rather experts motivated by policy that better accounts for human behavior.

Such academics tend to come from a right-leaning world and aren't threatened by conventional wisdom; they may err less than Clintonites on the side of cautiously mimicking Republicans. But a minimum of ideology among Obamanauts doesn't mean they lack ambition: These would-be leaders want an automatic tax return, the global elimination of nuclear weapons and cap-and-trade arrangements that would drop carbon emissions.

Behavioral economist icon Richard Thaler is seen in this University bio photo. (chicagogsb.edu)

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., waves to the crowd as he works the rope line after speaking at a campaign rally at the University of Cincinnati Monday, Feb. 25, 2008, in Cincinnati,... (Associated Press)

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., makes remarks during a rally Monday, Feb. 25, 2008, in Cincinnati, Ohio. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (Associated Press)

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Obama Brain Trust's Key 'Ism' Is Pragmatism

Team of behavioral economists bucks convention, ideology

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Team of behavioral economists bucks convention, ideology

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Barack Obama • nuclear weapons • University of Chicago • Richard Thaler • behavioral ecnonomics • automatic tax return • Austan Goolsbee • carbon emissions

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Obama's New Economic Adviser: Austan Goolsbee

'Inner circle' member will replace Christina Romer

Obama Smackdown: 'Sarah Palin's No Expert'

Who's getting punched in the face now?

Ahmadinejad Mocks Obama as 'Cowboy'

Iran won't change its nuclear ways, US can't 'do a damn thing'

Obama, Medvedev Sign Off on Nuclear Treaty

Move a step toward repairing US-Russian relations

Gov't Will Slash Greenhouse Emissions: Obama

Executive order requires federal agencies to reduce waste, conserve energy

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Newser By Users

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