Study: 80 Percent of Lawmakers Lack Academic Background in Business, Economics

[Middleoftheroad]

Well to be fair I would like to see that number a little higher, but on the other hand it doesn't hurt to have variety in congress. I'm no Ron Paul fan, but I don't think that because he was "only" a doctor should disqualify him from being a congressman.

 

[Charles_Main]

"A separation of economy and state, as much as a separation of church and state. A plumber can do that."

We tried that under Bush Junior, and that gave us the worst Recession since the Great Depression. The facts is, humans are greedy, and without proper oversight they will place their own bank account over country, and since we witnessed that first hand under Bush Junior, we should not simply forget about it a couple of years later just to repeat the same mistakes again. Forget history and your are doomed to repeat it. We should never forget what deregulation did to our economy, well at least we will not forget it after it just happened only two and half years ago. Those who propagandize 'Separation of Economics and State' are just misguided mouthpieces for Big Business and Wall Street. They care more about the almighty dollar than America.

Oh, dear Gawd! When are people going to give up this bullshit about 'Bush'? Bush did not cause the economy to collapse - no matter how much you want that to be true... it simply is not.

Grow the fuck up and live in the real world.

It's all they have. What do you expect them to do, Bragg about their accomplishments? Talk up Obama's success? All they have is the Blame game.

 

[zonly1]

"A separation of economy and state, as much as a separation of church and state. A plumber can do that."

We tried that under Bush Junior, and that gave us the worst Recession since the Great Depression. The facts is, humans are greedy, and without proper oversight they will place their own bank account over country, and since we witnessed that first hand under Bush Junior, we should not simply forget about it a couple of years later just to repeat the same mistakes again. Forget history and your are doomed to repeat it. We should never forget what deregulation did to our economy, well at least we will not forget it after it just happened only two and half years ago. Those who propagandize 'Separation of Economics and State' are just misguided mouthpieces for Big Business and Wall Street. They care more about the almighty dollar than America.

Yeah and the obumer administration is spending $4.7B/day, had 9 consecutive days loses in the djia matching jimmeh carter, continues to blame bush and/or blame tea party for his own failed policies.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

Study: 80 Percent of Lawmakers Lack Academic Background in Business, Economics

A report from the Employment Policies Institute finds that only one in five members of Congress has an academic background in business or economics.

55.5 percent majored in either a government-related field or "humanities." Just over 8 percent majored in economics, while almost 14 percent studied business or accounting.

...a congressional "supercommittee" is set to get to work finding $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade. But that supercommittee may have the same education deficit as the rest of Congress. Just four of the 12 members on that committee have an academic background in economics or finance.

no wonder we're fucked.

An academic background in business? You can't really teach business. A "business school" is just a way to get people's money.

 

[editec]

Study: 80 Percent of Lawmakers Lack Academic Background in Business, Economics

So?

Do people with an acdemic background in business or economics have the background to run a nation?

Not really.

 

[Conservative]

Study: 80 Percent of Lawmakers Lack Academic Background in Business, Economics

So?

Do people with an acdemic background in business or economics have the background to run a nation?

Not really.

would be nice if the people who make the laws that affect the economy knew something about, oh... I don't know... the economy.

 

[pgm]

Not even close. Bush was one of the most meddling administrations in business we'd had up to that time (Obama takes the cake of course).

What about Nixon? He implemented scores of new regulations including new regulatory agencies. He nationalized industries. His tax rate was much higher. Seems more meddling than both Bush and Obama.

 

[eflatminor]

Not even close. Bush was one of the most meddling administrations in business we'd had up to that time (Obama takes the cake of course).

What about Nixon? He implemented scores of new regulations including new regulatory agencies. He nationalized industries. His tax rate was much higher. Seems more meddling than both Bush and Obama.

You may just be right about that. Nixon was among our worst Progressive Presidents. For instance, his meddling in health care is a big part of our cost problems today.

 

[lehr]

Study: 80 Percent of Lawmakers Lack Academic Background in Business, Economics

A report from the Employment Policies Institute finds that only one in five members of Congress has an academic background in business or economics.

55.5 percent majored in either a government-related field or "humanities." Just over 8 percent majored in economics, while almost 14 percent studied business or accounting.

...a congressional "supercommittee" is set to get to work finding $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade. But that supercommittee may have the same education deficit as the rest of Congress. Just four of the 12 members on that committee have an academic background in economics or finance.

no wonder we're fucked.

they know what they r doing - this is no mistake ! demokrats wanted to destroy capitalism for decades - they finally have done it !

they know govt. kills the economy !

 

[Oldstyle]

"This research suggests that our elected representatives may want to dust off their Econ 101 textbook (if they have one) before trying to tackle the weighty questions about the impact of taxes, spending and debt on our economy and the labor market," the group wrote.

‘The group’ is seemingly ignorant as to how a bill becomes law.

‘Lawmakers’ don’t write laws, they’re written by hoards of nameless staffers who research the issue and the policy accordingly. The staffers specialize in certain areas, including economics. The ‘lawmaker’s background is irrelevant.

There is only one qualification that is required to fix the economy...an understanding government need only get the fuck out of the way. A separation of economy and state, as much as a separation of church and state. A plumber can do that.

An incorrect and naïve oversimplification – it isn’t the year 1800. You’d be well advised to abandon dogma and embrace fact.

And for whom exactly will government ‘get out of the way’? Corporations sitting on stacks of cash unwilling to invest or hire? Homeowners upside down on their mortgages and unable to spend due to excessive debt?

Whether you and others on the right like it or not, the government is the only player in the economy with the resources to get things moving again. And that’s not happening due to nitwit TPM House members refusing to do anything for perceived political gain and blind adherence to rightist dogma.

Read those last two paragraphs. Do you not realize that you contradict yourself? It's the corporations sitting on stacks of cash that HAVE the resources to get things moving again...NOT the Federal Government. The reason all of that capital is sitting on the sidelines isn't "rightist dogma". It's sitting on the sidelines because of uncertainty over governmental interference.

If you really want to fix this economy? I mean REALLY fix it then the answer isn't more government...it's less government. Cease with the regulations that are driving so much business overseas. Let's have a two year moratorium on new regulations. Let's let American corporations who make profits overseas repatriate those profits without having to pay taxes on them if they invest that money in new hiring or equipment. Let the drilling industry get back to work again so the price of oil doesn't spike again and let's stop threatening our coal fired energy production with crippling EPA clamp downs. Those are the kinds of things that we could do that would add REAL growth to our economy and they wouldn't cost us ANYTHING!!! Let me repeat that. THOSE IDEAS WOULDN'T COST US A DIME...LET ALONE A HALF A TRILLION!!! Oh, and a 20% cut in Federal spending 10% this year and 10% next year would be icing on the cake. I guarantee the economy would start to grow...which for you Kool Aid drinking libs out there, is the only way Obama's getting reelected next year.

 

[Polk]

Relevance? The purpose of Congress is to represent the people. That's the sole relevant qualification.

 

[PaulieGirl]

Many Republican congress members had business related jobs.

 

[Conservative]

Relevance? The purpose of Congress is to represent the people. That's the sole relevant qualification.

Yes, it is so easy to represent the people, act in their best interests and form economic policy that will affect everyone... when you have no knowledge of business or economics.

Please.

 

[Conservative]

Study: 80 Percent of Lawmakers Lack Academic Background in Business, Economics

So?

Do people with an acdemic background in business or economics have the background to run a nation?

Not really.

People with a background in background in business or economics would certainly understand how the economy works and how to form sound policy that can promote job growth, much more so than people without that background.

 

[Polk]

Relevance? The purpose of Congress is to represent the people. That's the sole relevant qualification.

Yes, it is so easy to represent the people, act in their best interests and form economic policy that will affect everyone... when you have no knowledge of business or economics.

Please.

That makes two very faulty assumptions.

First, what should lead us to believe a Congress of businessmen would better represent the interests of the nation? It seems just as likely they're more likely to look out for their narrow self-interest in a way that harms the broader public.

Second, even assuming it's desirable to have a Congress of businessmen for economic issues, how do you address non-economic issues? Do we have a special Congress of former diplomats and people with PhDs in international relations to run foreign policy? How would you even begin to address social policy in that world?

 

[Baron]

Most of professional liars politicians have lack of any knowledge except the huge desire for more money and more power.

 

[Toro]

Study: 80 Percent of Lawmakers Lack Academic Background in Business, Economics

A report from the Employment Policies Institute finds that only one in five members of Congress has an academic background in business or economics.

55.5 percent majored in either a government-related field or "humanities." Just over 8 percent majored in economics, while almost 14 percent studied business or accounting.

...a congressional "supercommittee" is set to get to work finding $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade. But that supercommittee may have the same education deficit as the rest of Congress. Just four of the 12 members on that committee have an academic background in economics or finance.

no wonder we're fucked.

Most are lawyers. Always have been.

But very few are actually workers.

Social Status and How the Elected Vote - NYTimes.com

 

[oreo]

Study: 80 Percent of Lawmakers Lack Academic Background in Business, Economics

A report from the Employment Policies Institute finds that only one in five members of Congress has an academic background in business or economics.

55.5 percent majored in either a government-related field or "humanities." Just over 8 percent majored in economics, while almost 14 percent studied business or accounting.

...a congressional "supercommittee" is set to get to work finding $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade. But that supercommittee may have the same education deficit as the rest of Congress. Just four of the 12 members on that committee have an academic background in economics or finance.

no wonder we're fucked.

GREAT---this country is so impressed with Harvard and Yale graduates--most of them whom were born with a silver spoons in their mouths--including Barack Obama--and most of them have never worked a day in their lives in the private sector.

And we wonder why this country is in the mess it is.

 

[oreo]

Study: 80 Percent of Lawmakers Lack Academic Background in Business, Economics

A report from the Employment Policies Institute finds that only one in five members of Congress has an academic background in business or economics.

55.5 percent majored in either a government-related field or "humanities." Just over 8 percent majored in economics, while almost 14 percent studied business or accounting.

...a congressional "supercommittee" is set to get to work finding $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade. But that supercommittee may have the same education deficit as the rest of Congress. Just four of the 12 members on that committee have an academic background in economics or finance.

no wonder we're fucked.

Most are lawyers. Always have been.

But very few are actually workers.

Social Status and How the Elected Vote - NYTimes.com

I am self-employed and have been for 30 plus years--and I have found that lawyers live in a much different world than the rest of us. They know their law books--but when the rubber meets the road--they know nothing about how the private sector economy works.

According to your chart--look at who is controlling the ship here. LAWYERS.

 

[Moonglow]

Study: 80 Percent of Lawmakers Lack Academic Background in Business, Economics

A report from the Employment Policies Institute finds that only one in five members of Congress has an academic background in business or economics.

55.5 percent majored in either a government-related field or "humanities." Just over 8 percent majored in economics, while almost 14 percent studied business or accounting.

...a congressional "supercommittee" is set to get to work finding $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade. But that supercommittee may have the same education deficit as the rest of Congress. Just four of the 12 members on that committee have an academic background in economics or finance.

no wonder we're fucked.

GREAT---this country is so impressed with Harvard and Yale graduates--most of them whom were born with a silver spoons in their mouths--including Barack Obama--and most of them have never worked a day in their lives in the private sector.

And we wonder why this country is in the mess it is.

so how rich was Obama's family when he was born?