The three areas where I think the economic ‘left’ and ‘right’ can work together best are education, infrastructure (facilitating public/private partnerships), and institutional quality/governance. All three cut across ideological lines; and all three are cornerstones of a successful development process.

From an economic perspective, the left has traditionally has held deep mistrust for the private sector, and the right has a similar mistrust of public officials. At their worst, capitalists are recklessly greedy and bureaucrats are venal and corrupt. At their best however, the capitalists grow the pie, and the bureaucrats *effectively* redistribute it through taxation, spending, and regulatory incentives. Getting from worst to best requires a reduction in the polarization between these groups.

It is only by taming down the vehemence with which we challenge the other side that we will realize that progress, in a democracy, requires some cold, hard compromises.