Chapter 1 Politics and the Economy

Politics is the art of the possible. Politics is how we decide who gets what. Politics influences how much you pay for interest on student loans and how easy or difficult it is to get financial aid. Politics is the process by which we govern ourselves. Politics is life, and all life is politics. Human beings, as essentially social animals, can never escape this.

The economy is how we decide to produce and distribute goods and services, and how much they will cost. The two are interconnected in such a way that understanding one helps you understand the other. Much of politics is about the economy, and much of the economy is heavily influenced by politics.