Albert Hirschman’s Exit, Voice and Loyality is a book written by an economist but accessible to all – a rare achieve in any academic disipline, especially economics. The book was written in the early 70’s but still has relevant today. Its greatest achievment is the illumination of ‘exit’ as the mentality of modern western capitalist societies – the idealisation of the consumers’ right to ‘vote with one’s feet’ – and its spread into all forms of social activity. Hirschman adds a historical dimension to this by arguing that the whole of the United States has largely been built on ‘exit’ mentality – from the mass migration out of Europe from the 17th century onwards to the calls to ‘go west’ across the plains. Exit is the strategy advocated today by neo liberals as being the manifestation of democracy in the market sphere.
Trump’s voters won’t mind if he doesn’t keep all his promises
Pence discussed tax reform, ethics reform, infrastructure improvements, better trade deals and a cheaper replacement for Obamacare. No mention of building walls, rounding up illegal immigrants or banning Muslims.
.. Pence’s outline was not exactly the hell and brimstone that critics warned — and Trump often promised — a Trump presidency would bring to Washington’s institutions. Nor did it sound like it would furnish the radical break with the status quo that Trump supporters say they want.
.. they liked Trump for something deeper and less specific than the promises he made — “Make America great again” meant putting strength, grit and change on their side, not enacting a particular policy agenda.
.. as long as he shows that he has their back and makes a sincere effort to get things done — even if that requires compromise — his voters say they’ll keep faith in him.
.. a comprehensive energy plan, taxes and Obamacare.
.. Presidents usually do try to keep their campaign promises, research has found, making a good-faith effort to do about two-thirds of what they said they would do while seeking the job.
.. For a lot of Trump supporters, Obamacare contributed to a sense that Washington was no longer looking out for them. They believed their concerns burdening some people with new costs for the benefit of others wasn’t heeded.
.. What was most appealing about Trump — for at least me — was that he had our back.”
For Ripepi and others, “having our back” is not about economic misfortune but rather a perceived loss of strength in the fabric of America. Not in terms of politics and policy, necessarily; he worries that his children and future grandchildren will not be able to experience the same things he did, while living in the same community that his father and his father’s father did. Will his kids be able to find livelihoods near home and enjoy the same traditions he did?
.. voters like Ripepi told me, people from less mobile, socially conservative places felt they had no voice. Under Trump, they believe they will.
.. To many voters, economic arguments were more important than Trump’s explosive rhetoric. When China subsidizes steel production, it cripples manufacturing and makes it impossible for American companies to compete, said Hughes
.. How many Trump supporters really sound, now that he’s won the election, is hopeful — the same way Obama voters sounded after his victory in 2008.
.. “If he takes it slow and steady and shows us he is working for everyone’s best interest rather than just special interests, we’ll be patient,” Hughes said.
The Science Behind Hating Hillary’s Voice
Commentators often criticize Hillary Clinton for having a loud, monotone, and shrill voice. In this video, The Atlantic’s Olga Khazan talks to voice experts to understand what makes Clinton’s voice allegedly more annoying than her competitors. The conclusions are complex: Clinton’s voice is actually average in pitch and loudness for her age and gender, but she does yell into microphones and speak in an overly enunciated voice—two factors that may make her seem abrasive. And then, of course, there’s another element at play: sexism.