Politicians always talk about how they’ll “create jobs” with their various policy ideas. That is, they want us to believe that by pulling levers to change taxes, interest rates, and government incentives, they can cause jobs to “be created.” It’s nonsense meant to deceive voters. As Kevin Williamson explains in this article, jobs are created when a person in business sees the opportunity to make a profit and then organizes the necessary resources of money and labor to try to do that. There is nothing that officials in Washington can do to catalyze that, but much they can do to impede entrepreneurs from taking the risks that may lead to rewards.
Politicians want voters to think that they’re the ones who create jobs and many gullible people believe them. It’s one of history’s greatest deceptions.
