There are some nice summaries out of the views of the presidential candidates on a variety of economic issues.

1. I've downloaded but haven't yet listened to the debate the National Association of Business Economists had with the advisers for five candidates. Unfortunately no advisers for Thompson or Romney were on the panel.
2. John Goodman has summarized the health care platforms. He ends up liking the McCain plan better than the other two Republican plans; it's also the most radical, in simply giving a $5000 refundable tax credit (like EITC) to couples to buy their own health insurance while killing off the current system's subsidies. His opinion of the Democratic plans is much lower. Meanwhile, Steve Verdon reminds us that promises about paying for health insurance reform that begin with "repeal the Bush tax cuts" are trying to spend the same money twice.
   
3. Ben Muse has been a one-man show writing views on international trade of the candidates (and others.) So far he has views from Romney, Clinton, and links to Simon Lester's thoughts on Edwards and Kucinich.

See also Muse's post on a poll on trade, in which we find that blue collar workers are more inclined to trade deals to protect jobs and white collar workers think innovation and new ideas are going to be the best source of new jobs.

Labels: economics, politics