Anat Admati

"Democracy in Retreat" by Joshua Kurlantzick starts with evidence that the quality of democracy in the developing world has eroded in the past decade. The author explains why, exposing the blind spots of the so-called Washington Consensus and its one-size-fits-all approaches. Policy makers should take note. In "This Town," Mark Leibovich provides a cynical account of the Washington, D.C., bubble that is at once hilarious and depressing. Can we expect thoughtful policies on anything, from promoting democracy to reducing distortions in banking, when so many in power are busy obsessing about...