Tell ‘Em What They Need to Know: The Virtues of an Informed Electorate

They say we live in the Information Age, but more and more, it feels like the public understands less and less about what really matters. How should you invest your money in a volatile economy? How should you vote when you don’t like your choices? The information is out there, but often it’s manipulated, spun, and diverted from your attention. The more information we have, it seems, the more education we need to understand it.

That’s why, according to Paul Haaga, good financial advice and good journalism have never been more valuable. In this episode, he gives us an ample share of both.

Mr. Haaga is the retired chairman of the board of Capital Research and Management Company. He is a member of the board of directors of National Public Radio, where he previously served as President and CEO. Prior to those roles, he was a partner in the law firm of Dechert Price & Rhoads, and before that, he was a senior attorney for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He currently serves as a trustee of Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Georgetown Preparatory School, the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, where he is Chairman of the Board.