New Deal Boldness & Experimentation

In his second inauguration speech, on Monday, January 21, 2013, President Obama said: "We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect."

On May 22nd, 1932, while gearing up for the presidential race, President Franklin Roosevelt said: "The country needs, and unless I mistake its temper, demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."

Many times, people scold the government for its errors, as if the government should be 100% perfect all the time. I think such unrealistic expectations keep us from trying new things to solve problems, i.e., policy-making is hard in an atmosphere of hyper-criticism.

(FDR quote is in the book "American-Made" by Nick Taylor)