The debate between the economists reminds me of a long-past humorous saying about the dismal practitioners (only teasing there):  “If you laid all the economists of the world end-to-end they would never reach a conclusion.”  I guess they still haven’t regarding this question of whether the Republicans and Democrats are essentially different or the same.  I have my own take on this and since I can claim at least one foot in the economics area, I will weigh in unashamedly.

I think–drum roll please–that the parties are both different and the same.  Before you tell me I am illogical, let me elaborate.  Something can be different and the same simultaneously, but not in the same aspect.  A leaf can be red and green, but not in the same place at the same time.  Likewise there are aspects of the Republicans and Democrats that are very similar or the same and other aspects that are very dissimilar.

I do believe the Republicans and Democrats both desire to be elected or re-elected.  So on that they agree.  However I believe the Republicans may be more pragmatic about it, to some extent viewing their closeness to Democratic ideas and practices as strategy until they achieve a majority status.  We will soon get some chance to see whether I am right.

Republicans do vote for spending at rates nearly as high or as high as Democrats.