Past experience with fiscal austerity at home and overseas strongly suggests that it is best for the economy's long-run performance to restrain government spending rather than raise taxes. Mark Zandi More Quotes by Mark Zandi More Quotes From Mark Zandi Our biggest challenge is to eliminate the popular perception that economists don't have anything useful to say. Mark Zandi economist perception challenges The discussion in Washington has changed dramatically. I mean, it's no longer a question of should we address entitlements - it's no longer a question of do we need to reduce spending in the future. Mark Zandi addresses mean needs The principal linkages between Japan and the U.S. global economies are trade, financial markets, and commodity markets. Mark Zandi commodity japan financial It is hard to be enthusiastic about the economy's prospects when house prices are falling: Households spend less, small business owners can't use homes as collateral for loans and local governments are forced to cut jobs and programs as property-tax revenue disappears. Mark Zandi home jobs fall It has become fashionable to rail against government intervention in the economy, and the FHA is a favorite example by those trying to show the government's overreach. In reality, the FHA shows how government action during the Great Recession forestalled a much worse economic fate. Mark Zandi fate government reality I am not a fan of Medicare for All, we have 160 million people who have private insurance and are pretty happy with what they have. Why change that? Mark Zandi top-news It's not hard to believe billionaires are going to use every resource to avoid paying the tax. Mark Zandi top-news I stand by the funding estimates, as a standalone plan. Mark Zandi top-news I'm skeptical the wealth tax will generate the same amount of revenue after considering all her plans together. Mark Zandi top-news There will be more avoidance and IRS enforcement may not be up to the task. Mark Zandi top-news President Trump trade war is doing significant damage to the US and global economies, the higher tariffs act like a tax increase on businesses and their customers. Mark Zandi top-news Brick-and-mortar retailers are already in recession, they've been laying off workers coming up on three years. And this is a time when consumers are out spending aggressively. If the broader economy is in recession, there is going to be blood in the streets. Mark Zandi top-news A lot of retailers are hanging on because the broader economic environment is strong, interest rates are low, credit is available, no sector is more dependent on credit. If a recession comes, credit will get cut off both to the consumers and the retailers. That is going to mean a rash of bankruptcies and a lot of lost jobs. Mark Zandi top-news It employs so many people in every community, if consumers pull back and store closings mount, no other sector of the economy will be able to pick up that slack. Mark Zandi top-news They are generally lower paying jobs. But they're very important to a very vulnerable group within the economy. Mark Zandi top-news This highlights why it's so important to have a strong economy because it helps those that really have struggled for many decades. Mark Zandi us-news The consumer drives the economic train, if American households are out spending, the economy will remain intact. We'll avoid a recession. But if American households waver in their spending, it's game over -- we're in a recession. Mark Zandi top-news Huawei is very iconic to the Chinese, kind of like Apple to us, so putting them on the entity list is a real slap in the face and threatens to take the trade war from economics to war over nationalistic pride, it makes it very difficult to stand down. Mark Zandi politics Gasoline is still being poured on the economy, the real day of reckoning will come early next decade, around 2020. Mark Zandi top-news We're in the boom. And all the earmarks of a bust are developing. Mark Zandi top-news