Items20The creator’s order
  1. 1Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. RooseveltBorn 30 Jan 1882A bank deposit is not a pile of cash waiting in a vault. Roosevelt begins his 12 March 1933 fireside chat with that everyday misconception, explaining how deposits become loans and investments. The distinction makes a run on even a sound bank understandable before he moves to the closure and…0i
  2. 2Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBorn 4 Aug 1961Obama's 9 September 2009 address to Congress connects three pieces of his healthcare proposal: an insurance marketplace, help with premiums and a requirement to obtain coverage. He explains why rules on pre-existing conditions depend on who participates in the insurance pool. That makes the parts…0i
  3. 3Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenBorn 22 Jun 1949In prepared remarks on 5 June 2018, Warren uses toaster safety to introduce financial consumer protection. The useful step comes after the analogy: she explains how rules can stop firms competing through hidden contractual traps and let customers compare products on their merits. A familiar object…0i
  4. 4Katie PorterKatie PorterBorn 3 Jan 1974At the 12 March 2020 coronavirus hearing, Porter builds up the possible cost of a diagnostic visit from its separate charges, then links that bill to the risk of people avoiding testing. She follows the arithmetic with questions about the CDC director's payment authority. It turns an abstract…0i
  5. 5Al GoreAl GoreBorn 31 Mar 1948The revenue matters as much as the charge in Gore's 2007 Nobel lecture. He proposes pricing carbon, returning the proceeds progressively and shifting the tax burden away from employment. That separates two design choices often blurred in debate: discouraging pollution and deciding who receives the…0i
  6. 6Angela MerkelAngela MerkelBorn 17 Jul 1954On 20 April 2020, Merkel explains why early improvements did not make rapid reopening risk-free. She connects the reproduction number, delayed consequences of changing behaviour and the practical work of tracing contacts. Her account links a statistic to a decision about pace, while openly…0i
  7. 7Jacinda ArdernJacinda ArdernBorn 26 Jul 1980Ardern's 21 March 2020 address introduces four alert levels by comparing them with familiar warnings for fire risk and water use. She then spells out what each level means for public action and government restrictions, including that a level can apply locally. The explanation gives people a…0i
  8. 8Lee Hsien LoongLee Hsien LoongBorn 10 Feb 1952In his August 2023 CNA interview on Singapore's reserves, Lee distinguishes dividends and interest from the broader return that includes changes in asset value. He explains why spending rules use expected long-term returns rather than simply last year's market result, and why only part is available…0i
  9. 9Tharman ShanmugaratnamTharman ShanmugaratnamBorn 25 Feb 1957At the SkillsFuture Credit roadshow on 9 January 2016, Tharman explains who receives the credit, what courses it can support and how it sits alongside other training subsidies. He then answers a practical question: people need not rush to spend the original credit and can wait for a course that…0i
  10. 10Manmohan SinghManmohan SinghBorn 26 Sept 1932Singh's 24 July 1991 budget makes the consequences of exchange-rate adjustment tangible. A higher rupee cost of imported oil feeds into domestic fuel prices, while selected exceptions are justified by their importance to poorer households. He also explains the relationship between exchange-rate…0i