PITY the Washington wonk at this moment. America's political dysfunction looks forbiddingly irreparable, its government implacably hostile to expertise. Amid the gloom, some scholars still look to chart a course towards a healthier politics. "The Captured Economy", by Brink Lind-sey and Steven Teles, sketches a plausible route out of the wilderness, albeit one that may struggle to find an audience in the corridors of power. Their book is in part a blueprint for political realignment. For roughly a decade now Mr Lindsey, who is vice-president of the Niskanen Centre, a think-tank, and Mr Teles, a professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University, have sought to nurture understanding between conservatives of a free-market orientation and progressives. Their book is a guide for members of this "liberaltarian" tribe. Cooperation between Republicans and Democrats is frustrated by their quite different views of the role of government. The left sees the state as a means to reduce market inequities, while the right sees government redistribution as a growth-sapping anchor. Yet America's economy is now impaired by policies which both reduce growth and increase inequality. There is scope to satisfy left and right alike, if only politicians could see beyond the battle lines of partisan conflict.
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