You can't push on a string.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- You cannot force economic activity from the demand side; policy must encourage voluntary action.
- In plain terms
- You can't force the economy to respond by pushing from the wrong end.
- What can you take from it?
- Demand-side policy has limited power to stimulate action.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What tools actually move the economy?
- Where are the limits of government intervention?
Another view
Fiscal policy can sometimes stimulate demand effectively.
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