The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit Varma Ep 379: Lant Pritchett Is on Team Prosperity
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Apr 29, 2024 Economist Lant Pritchett discusses deep questions in development economics, challenging narrow focuses. He reflects on childhood influences, data analysis integrity, and education's impact on growth. Critiquing programmatic approaches, he advocates for systemic transformations for true prosperity. Highlighting talent clustering and learning emphasis for global progress, he explores state capability and power dynamics in organizational development.
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The Drunk Man's Search
- Lant Pritchett opens with the parable of a drunk man searching for his keys under a streetlight, even though he lost them in the dark bushes.
- This highlights how development economics often focuses on easily answerable questions rather than tackling the complex issue of poverty.
Reckless Youth, Seeds of Doubt
- As a 15-year-old, Lant Pritchett was reckless and irresponsible, delaying his growth into a mature person.
- However, even then, he possessed a strong capacity for doubt, questioning everything others and he himself said.
Non-Elite Upbringing
- Lant Pritchett's childhood was non-elite; his grandfathers were blue-collar workers, and his father was a first-generation college graduate.
- Growing up Mormon in small-town Boise, Idaho, he felt a drive to prove himself to mainstream America.