经济学人 拜登的经济团队--顶配（在线收听）

Joe Biden's advisers

乔·拜登的顾问

Top picks

顶配

A diverse, left-leaning economic team conveys the president-elect's priorities

一个多元化、左倾的经济团队传达了当选总统的首要任务

Joe biden's record as president may well hinge on his response to America's economic woes. On December 1st the president-elect launched his effort to right the economy, when he formally unveiled his choices for top policy jobs. His economic team stands out for its diversity, its interest in climate change, and its emphasis on the welfare of working people, sending a clear signal of Mr Biden's priorities. Its overriding challenge, though, will be to repair an economy battered by covid-19.

作为总统，拜登的政绩很可能取决于他对美国经济困境的反应。12月1日，这位当选总统正式公布了其最高政策职位人选，开始为恢复经济做出努力。他的经济团队的突出特点在于其多元化、对气候变化的关注以及对劳动人民福利的重视，这给拜登发送了明确的优先顺序信号。不过，最大的挑战还是修复被新冠重创后的美国经济。

Many of the names on the slate are familiar. If confirmed by the Senate, Janet Yellen will become America's first female treasury secretary. She is assembling one of the more impressive public-service careers in the economics profession, having led the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) during the Clinton administration, and the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018.

候选人名单上的许多名字都很熟悉。如果获得参议院批准，那么珍妮特·耶伦将成为美国的首位女财政部长。她曾在克林顿政府时期领导过经济顾问委员会(CEA)，并在2014年至2018年期间领导过美联储，目前正在为经济领域中最令人印象深刻的公共服务事业做准备。

Experience aside, Ms Yellen's broad acceptability across Democratic factions no doubt was a point in her favour. By contrast, Mr Biden's CEA—an advisory body of wonks that aims to ground the president's policies in sound economics—may be the most progressive in recent memory. It will be led by Cecilia Rouse, an economist at Princeton University, who if confirmed would be the first black woman to chair the council. Ms Rouse is no stranger to Washington, having advised both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama during their terms. She has also done impressive research; her work showing that student debt may deter low-income students from enrolling at university, for instance, may be especially pertinent given a running debate in Washington over the wisdom of cancelling student loans. Jared Bernstein, who advised Mr Biden on economic policy during his vice-presidency and has long been an advocate of pro-labour policies, will join Ms Rouse. So too will Heather Boushey, who runs the Washington Centre for Equitable Growth, a left-leaning think-tank. Ms Boushey has argued forcefully that generous government support for women and families is a key ingredient of broad-based prosperity. (Neither Mr Bernstein nor Ms Boushey require Senate confirmation.)

抛开经验不谈，耶伦在民主党各派系间的广泛接受度无疑是对她有利的一点。相比之下，拜登的经济顾问委员会——一个旨在使总统的政策在稳健的经济中得到贯彻的专家顾问机构——可能是近年来最为进步的。该委员会将由普林斯顿大学经济学家塞西莉亚·劳斯领导，如果获得批准，她将成为首位担任该委员会主席的黑人女性。劳斯对华盛顿并不陌生，她曾在比尔·克林顿和巴拉克·奥巴马任期内担任过顾问。此外她还做过一些令人印象深刻的研究。例如，她的研究表明，学生债务可能会阻碍低收入家庭的学生上大学。考虑到华盛顿正在就取消学生贷款是否明智进行的辩论，这一观点可能尤其切题。贾里德·伯恩斯坦将加入劳斯的行列，他曾在拜登担任副总统期间担任经济政策顾问，长期以来一直是亲劳工政策的倡导者。左倾智库华盛顿公平增长中心的负责人希瑟·布希也将加入，她曾有力地指出政府对妇女和家庭的慷慨支持是全面繁荣的一个关键因素。(伯恩斯坦和布希都不需要经过参议院的批准。)

Other appointments have been greeted less warmly by the left. Brian Deese, who has been chosen to lead the National Economic Council, the president's top economic-policymaking body, worked at BlackRock, an asset manager, after serving as an adviser to Mr Obama—causing some to worry about a revolving door between government and business. But Mr Deese's portfolio, which involves directing investment in climate and sustainability initiatives, has muted some of the criticism—and shows the importance that Mr Biden places on tackling climate change.

其他任命则不那么受左派欢迎。布莱恩·迪斯被选为总统的最高经济政策制定机构——国家经济委员会的领导，在为奥巴马做过顾问之后，他曾在资产管理公司贝莱德工作，这让一些人担心政府和企业之间会出现一扇旋转门。但迪斯的投资组合(包括对气候和可持续发展项目的直接投资)平息了一些批评，同时彰显了拜登对应对气候变化的重视。

Neera Tanden, the head of the Centre for American Progress, a left-leaning thinktank, and Mr Biden's choice to run the Office of Management and Budget, is a more divisive figure, known for picking fights with far-left supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders. Republican senators have expressed discomfort with her nomination too; she may face the fiercest confirmation row of them all. But confirmation will be only the first of the team's many challenges. Reforming the economy in the face of a slump and Republican opposition will be no easy task.

拜登选择了左倾智库美国进步中心的负责人尼拉·坦登执掌管理和预算部门。坦登是一个更具争议性的人物，因其与参议员伯尼·桑德斯的极左支持者的争吵而闻名。共和党参议员也对她的提名表示不满，她可能会面临最激烈的确认之争。不过“批准”只是该团队面临的众多挑战中的第一个。面对经济衰退和共和党的反对，经济改革并非易事。