Long experience, in the United States and in other advanced economies, has demonstrated that monetary policy is most successful when decisions are rendered independent of influence by elected officials.
Jerome PowellRead
I am unable to think of any critical, complex human activity that could be safely reduced to a simple summary equation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Complex human activities cannot be adequately captured by simple formulas.
This quote by Jerome Powell emphasizes the intricate nature of human endeavors, suggesting that the richness and depth of our experiences and activities cannot be fully understood or represented by simplistic models or equations. It reminds us that many aspects of life involve nuance, complexity, and variables that defy reduction to basic summaries.
Themes
ComplexityHuman ActivityThoughtPhilosophyNuance
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on economics, one might reference this quote to highlight the limitations of models in understanding human behavior.
More from Jerome Powell
All quotes βWhile the move to central clearing has made the system safer, we need to make sure that the central counterparties have the resources and risk-management practices to withstand plausible but severe shocks.
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Long-term economic growth depends mainly on nonmonetary factors such as population growth and workforce participation, the skills and aptitudes of our workforce, the tools at their disposal, and the pace of technological advance. Fiscal and regulatory policies can have important effects on these factors.
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It is worth noting that 'too big to fail' is not simply about size. A big institution is 'too big' when there is an expectation that government will do whatever it takes to rescue that institution from failure, thus bestowing an effective risk premium subsidy. Reforms to end 'too big to fail' must address the causes of this expectation.
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There is no risk-free path for monetary policy.
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My own experience is that the best outcomes are reached when opposing viewpoints are clearly and strongly presented before decisions are made.
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