Shannon Clark2d ago
an important aspect of Mayor Mamdani in NYC is that his deeply held belief in the possibility of government and people to do better - for solutions to be found that improve things for everyone is somewhat literally infectious. He is clearly having fun (while also being very serious) and he has appointed (and seemingly delegated well) people who believe in the institutions they are leading - and this in turn is self-reinforcing. The workers are literally acknowledged - as is the public
Show threadShannon Clark2d ago

in turn that makes new ventures easier to gain traction - and (I hope) this means a virtuous cycle where people believe that change can and literally is happening - and that very belief in turn makes it stronger, more lasting, and more impactful.

This is how economics and change happens - people's belief and shared agreement that specific pieces of paper (or entries in a digital system) represent value IS what makes money and commerce with that money possible as well as the shared expectations

Show threadShannon Clark2d ago

if everyone thinks that prices will rise (to use a classic example) then everyone starts to make adjustments assuming that prices will rise - they raise prices where they have control of them and where they do not they make decisions about what to buy when based on that expectation.

(think back on the toilet paper hoarding early in the COVID pandemic - or the "search for live yeast" when everyone wanted to bake bread at home)

But it is also about how much of the future we plan for and expect

Show threadShannon Clark

when times are good, when leadership seems stable (and even inspiring), when jobs are good it is far easier to plan for the long term - for a vacation years from now, for "what we'll do when our tween is off to college"

But when everything feels unstable (eh look around) it is much harder to plan - and that then cascades across the economy and community.

What Mayor Mamdani is doing in many big and small steps is showing a way to plan for the future (fully funding libraries is a good example)

Jun 3 at 5:45amWeb
Show threadShannon Clark2d ago
I hope that the nuances and details of his administration are copied widely - not just the social media friendly "no bedtime declarations" with cute kids (though more of that is also welcome - politicians - heck anyone who is naturally comfortable with a bunch of young kids is generally speaking a sign of someone who has a strong sense of themself - as well as an appreciation for others. Kids have a pretty good sense when people are inauthentic.