Looking Back to Look Forward Economy Customers waiting to buy butter at Shepherd's Grocery, Seattle, 1943 A look at pocketbook issues influencing presidential politics over the past several decades and the light that sheds on the current candidates’ proposals. Click here to listen Full Script Note: Story airdate is Tues, Sept. 15  Reporter's Notebook Bellamy Pailthorp As KPLU’s business reporter, I hear a lot about the entrepreneurial spirit in the greater Puget Sound region. But it surprised me to find that sentiment pervading the discussion among the group of voters we assembled for this story. Whether in a specific sense relating to tax cuts and how they affect businesses, or more generally in terms of wanting more self-reliance from individuals, no one liked the idea of government handouts or too much spending. They liked the reminder from Warren Harding campaigning in 1920 that “all human ills are not curable by legislation, and that quantity of statutory enactment and excess of government offer no substitute for quality of citizenship.” And even committed Democrats in the room were skeptical of Obama’s ideas for government programs to create jobs and stimulate the economy. What do you think? Do the expectations created by government programs tend to squelch innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit – or even good citizenship? Click here to let us know.

Economy Resources: McCain’s Economic Plan | Obama’s Economic Plan | The U.S. Economy - A Brief History | EH Net Economic History Services | Economic History of the United States (Wikipedia) | The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics | Presidential Speech Archive at the Miller Center of Public Affairs | Vincent Voice Library’s samples of U.S. Presidents of the 20th Century

Community invitees who helped us frame the story Mouse over photos for more information

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