Our two political parties each champion a set of recommended economic policies.  For the GOP, tax cuts are always helpful.  For the Democrats, not so much—but government spending can solve a lot of problems. As an economist, the rigidity of political views – not just among the politicians but their distinct tribes of voters – dismays me.  Why?  Because different contexts demand different solutions. In early 2009, Captain Sullenberger went against traditional thinking when he safely landed an Airbus A320 on the Hudson Bay after it hit a flock of birds, cutting off all engine power.  He didn’t follow standard procedures because he and co-pilot, Jeffrey Skiles, recognized the uniqueness of the situation. An economy is a far more complex system than a plane and its interaction with air.  With any complex system, physics proves that starting conditions matter for what you do…