Gingrich en Freakonomics

Newt Gingrich ha sido uno de los políticos más polémicos en los Estados Unidos en las últimas dos décadas. Probablemente junto con el entonces Presidente Bill Clinton, fue uno de los más influyentes en los noventa.

El viernes pasado Freakonomics lo invitó a responder algunas preguntas. Aquí la entrada. Estoy de acuerdo con lo que dice Dubner (co-autor del blog) que sus respuestas son amplias y completas (comprehensive) y, a ratos, fascinantes.

Aquí dos preguntas ejemplos:

Q: Do you think that corporations have too much power in government, through lobbyists and monetary incentives? What should be done to correct what I see as an imbalance of power between voters and the rich/powerful?

A: There is a direct relationship between the size, influence, and power of a government and the influence of lobbyists on that government. If we are serious about limiting the ability of lobbyists to dictate government policy, we should be serious about limiting the size and scope of the government’s power. Until that happens, the wealthy and powerful will always be able to have influence through lobbying.

Q: In what ways are Americans united on immigration ...? There is a deep split between those who feel like their wages are being suppressed by the presence of illegal immigrants and those who believe that the influx is necessary to maintain economic growth. Everyone will say that they want to pay fewer taxes, but when you tell them what they will lose if taxes are lowered, the population is decidedly split. The vague idea of “defending America” is split as well, with some wanting to take an offensive approach to defense and others desiring more domestic measures.

Please explain what the “unity” is in these areas, and how it translates into actual policy.

A: I’ll give you some examples from a series of polls American Solutions conducted in 2007...

Immigration:

87 percent of the American people think English should be the official language of government;

63 percent of Americans want to increase the number of H-1B and H-2B visas so that more highly educated immigrants and those with special technical skills can work here;

83 percent of Americans favor requiring the IRS to conduct audits of companies that hire illegal immigrants to determine if they have paid the taxes they owed;

83 percent of Americans would support a worker visa program to make it easier for people in the U.S. to work legally. However, by a 69 to 27 percent margin, Americans want people who have entered illegally to apply for their visas from their home countries, and not from within the U.S...

Aquí la página de Gingrich.