Lawrence Kudlow Quotes

Powerful Lawrence Kudlow for Daily Growth

About Lawrence Kudlow

Lawrence Alan Kudlow, born on August 20, 1947, in Lynbrook, New York, is an American economist, television personality, and political commentator. Known for his conservative views on economics, he has significantly impacted the financial world and media landscape. Kudlow's academic background includes a B.A. in economics from Wesleyan University (1969) and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Rochester (1973). Early in his career, he worked as an economist for the Office of Management and Budget during the Ford Administration. Later, he joined the Reagan White House as Chief Economist to Vice President George H.W. Bush. In 1987, Kudlow founded Kudlow & Co., LLC, an investment advisory firm. He left in 1994 to host a radio show and later moved to television with CNBC's "Kudlow & Company" (1997-2006) and "The Kudlow Report" (2006-2015). Since 2017, he has been hosting "Kudlow" on Fox Business Network. Throughout his career, Kudlow has authored several books, including "JFK and the Reagan Revolution: A Secret History of American Prosperity" (2003), which explores the economic policies of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, and "Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter" (2017), offering insights into persuasive communication in the modern era. Kudlow's influences stem from free-market economists such as Milton Friedman and Arthur Laffer, whose supply-side economic theories heavily influenced his political views. Kudlow is known for advocating for low taxes, deregulation, and fiscal conservatism. His television shows offer analysis on current events, financial markets, and economic policies.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Confidence is everything in economics and in life."

This quote emphasizes that confidence, whether it's in economics or personal life, plays a crucial role in shaping outcomes. In economics, confidence influences spending, investment, and overall economic growth as people are more likely to invest their resources when they have confidence in the future stability of the economy. Similarly, in life, self-confidence can determine our ability to take risks, make decisions, and pursue goals with determination and resilience. Thus, confidence is indeed everything in that it sets the foundation for positive action and progress.


"In a capitalist system, there's no such thing as a free lunch, except in government."

This quote by Lawrence Kudlow underscores the essence of capitalism, emphasizing that resources must be compensated in some way for their use. In other words, goods and services come at a cost within a capitalist system because they require production, labor, and investment. The government, however, can provide services or benefits without immediate payment, as it has the ability to raise funds through taxes or borrowing, hence the metaphorical "free lunch." This quote suggests that while capitalism fosters economic growth and prosperity, it does not come without a price, whereas government spending may seem free but is ultimately funded by taxpayers.


"The market always climbs a wall of worry."

This quote by Lawrence Kudlow, an American economist, suggests that financial markets tend to rise despite or even because of prevailing concerns, fears, or uncertainties. It underscores the idea that investors are willing to invest in securities, even during periods of worry or economic uncertainty, with the expectation that the market will recover and provide higher returns over time. This quote emphasizes the resilience of the capital markets and the human propensity for optimism when it comes to investing in the future.


"Capitalism without failure is like religion without sin."

This quote suggests that a system without its natural consequences (failures) is not truly capitalist, much like a religious system devoid of human weaknesses (sins). The failures in capitalism are essential for learning, growth, and improvement, just as sins in religion can lead to self-reflection and spiritual growth. A system without these corrective elements may seem perfect or flawless, but it lacks the potential for progress and adaptation that comes from overcoming challenges.


"In a free-market economy, the only way to get rich is to create wealth for other people."

This quote by Lawrence Kudlow suggests that in a free-market economy, the pathway to personal wealth and prosperity lies in the creation of value or wealth for others. It implies that focusing on serving the needs of consumers, investors, or clients, and providing them with goods, services, or ideas that they value, is a reliable strategy for financial success. In essence, Kudlow is advocating for an approach to capitalism that prioritizes mutual benefit, where one's own gains are contingent upon delivering genuine value and positive outcomes to others within the marketplace.


The E.U.'s tax and regulatory policies, climate-change and welfare spending, and free immigration even in wartime are gradually ruining Europe. That's why I believe Brexit is good for British freedom, political autonomy, and the survival of democratic capitalism.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Why, Policies, Regulatory, Autonomy

I am not a politician; I've never run for anything in my life. I'm an economist. I'm a broadcaster. I've been an adviser. I worked for Ronald Reagan.

- Lawrence Kudlow

My Life, Been, Reagan, Economist

When George W. Bush tried to roll back taxpayer exposure to a housing crash via Fannie and Freddie, guess what two senators joined a filibuster of the Bush initiative? Yep... those saviors of the working class, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. They went to bat for the housing industry and voted to allow taxpayer exposure to escalate.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Housing, Allow, Filibuster

For the life of me, I cannot understand Clinton and her proposed across-the-board tax hikes on individuals, businesses and investors. I cannot fathom her plans for increased regulatory burdens, which include more government-run healthcare and a halt to the fossil-fuel energy boom.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Regulatory, Boom, Increased, Hikes

True enough, the Fed needs radical reforms. In particular, it needs to replace its failed forecasting models and be rid of the academics who overwhelm the Fed system.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Needs, Models, Fed, Overwhelm

The eligibility for food stamps has widened and widened; welfare has been widened - unemployment insurance and disability insurance. These are all incentives not to work.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Insurance, Disability, Been, Food Stamps

New tech explosions create winners and losers, but overall are remarkably positive for the country, middle-class folks, the economy, jobs, and wages.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Winners, Middle-Class, Tech, Remarkably

Obamacare rules and mandates are job-killers.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Rules, Obamacare, Mandates

President Obama always gives lip service to lowering the corporate tax rate, but he never specifies a particular rate or an overall plan.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Always, Obama, Lowering, Tax Rate

Corporate tax reform should include not just large C-corps but also smaller business S-corps and LLC pass-throughs. And nearly as important as cutting business tax rates is the need to simplify the inexplicably opaque and complex system.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Smaller, Complex System, Opaque

Now you know my credo: Free-market capitalism is the best path to prosperity. And let me add to that from our Founding Fathers: Our Creator endowed us with the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In other words, freedom.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Other, Pursuit, Fathers, In Other Words

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who is chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, warned Facebook of the need for consumer protection and an open Internet, and according to 'The Wall Street Journal,' Thune has sent a letter to Zuckerberg asking how the company chooses its trending topics and who is ultimately responsible.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Asking, Commerce, According, Journal

I argued that until FBI director James Comey gives a green light to new visas, and not until we completely reform the vetting process for new foreign visitors, that the borders should be sealed.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Process, New, Argued, Green Light

Trade is the key to the economic outlook in Britain and the E.U. Many corporate chieftains joined large bank CEOs and the fearmongering IMF to suggest that the E.U. will deal harshly with Britain if it leaves and stop all trade. That's mutually assured destruction - MAD.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Deal, Britain, IMF, Key

On economic policy, Pence has held to the key building block of growth. He is a budget hawk who voted against President George W. Bush's fiscally bloated No Child Left Behind education bill and hyper-expensive Medicare prescription-drug bill. He said he would not support new middle-class entitlements. He was consistent.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Education, Behind, Held, Key

France has been an American ally for about 250 years. It is a key member of NATO. But President Obama never stood shoulder to shoulder with Hollande and asked for a declaration of war against ISIS.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Against, Been, About, Key

Obama and Clinton wrongly believe that the corporate income tax is a tax on the rich. The reality is that rich corporations don't pay taxes - workers do.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Rich, Income, Obama, Wrongly

Yes, there should be tough border security. Yes, there should be foolproof ID cards, with biometrics, for Social Security and employment purposes.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Cards, Border, Social, Foolproof

Research has shown that middle-income wage earners would benefit most from a large reduction in corporate tax rates. The corporate tax is not a rich-man's tax. Corporations don't even pay it. They just pass the tax on in terms of lower wages and benefits, higher consumer prices, and less stockholder value.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Research, Benefits, Shown, Earner

Many people do not understand that business investment is a critical prosperity-booster, leading to more jobs, higher wages, and stronger family income. Put another way, rising tax and regulatory burdens that penalize investors and businesses also punish middle-income wage earners.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Income, Rising, Critical, Earner

Middle-income wage earners have essentially had no pay increases since 2000.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Pay, Increases, Essentially, Earner

In the 1980s and 1990s, radical change in economic policies fostered by Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher put the brakes on government planning and ushered in a new free-market supply-side era and a two-decade boom. That model has been abandoned in the new century. This must be reversed.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Been, Radical Change, Reagan, Brakes

Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all used temporarily targeted tariffs on specific industries.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Reagan, George W. Bush, Bush, Temporarily

Many liberals argue that big U.S. companies don't really pay the top corporate rate. While this is sometimes true, it's mainly because, during recessions, companies lose money, and get a tax loss carryforward that temporarily reduces their effective rate. But during economic expansions, when profits rise, companies then do pay the top rate.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Big, Sometimes, While, Temporarily

On immigration, Trump needs an articulate policy that aims to secure the border and keep out illegals while letting in skilled legal workers.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Immigration, Border, Needs, Articulate

The biggest flaw in the Trump economic plan is the tilt toward protectionism. I have parted company with him on this. The question here is whether his campaign bark will turn out to be bigger than his government-policy bite.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Here, Trump, Protectionism, Parted

Hillary is not an agent of change. Nor does she have any idea how to restore rapid economic growth. Instead, she is a prisoner of the Left. Tax the rich, inequality, redistribution.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Idea, Restore, Agent, Redistribution

Nobody, in my lifetime, in either party, has reached out with a message of hope, growth and opportunity to minorities better than Jack Kemp.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Lifetime, Minorities, Jack

Trump's corporate tax reform would restore America's position as the most hospitable investment climate in the world. For a change, businesses and their cash would come back home.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Change, Restore, Trump, Tax Reform

Tax reform likely will be the first policy action in a Trump administration. A close second will be a thorough repeal and rewrite of Obamacare, restoring a freer market with true consumer choice and competition among providers.

- Lawrence Kudlow

Trump, Administration, Tax Reform

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