One of the nation's most influential economists, the late Alice M. Rivlin served in three different presidential administrations. She knew very well how important it is to reach across the aisle; she made a career out of seeking to gain bipartisan support for legislation as well as economic policy. And as the head of the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget -- and as the vice chair of the Federal Reserve -- Rivlin reinforced the nonpartisan nature of the work these bodies produced. She was working on a book when she died in 2019, and this important book was thereafter completed by her son, Allan Rivlin, and Allan's wife, Sheri. Allen is our guest on ST today, and the book, "Divided We Fall: Why Consensus Matters," is just out. It's a careful study of how partisan politics and unprecedented inside-the-beltway gridlock both threaten to squander America's opportunity to show the world that democracy can solve economic problems and ensure shared prosperity. As the longtime conservative pundit William Kristol has noted: "We owe a great debt to Sheri Rivlin and Allan Rivlin for completing this manuscript left unfinished at Alice Rivlin's death. It is a fitting final contribution by a fine thinker and public servant who contributed so much to our democracy. Alice worried that 'the American experiment is in danger of failing.' This book can help us avert that danger, and points us to a path upward, toward success."
"Divided We Fall: Why Consensus Matters"
