Pigou Club Excludes Politicians

From a Wall Street Journal story:

The biggest political battle in Washington over climate change may not pit Democrats against Republicans. Instead, it could be economists versus politicians.

Many academics, even conservatives, favor a tax on carbon emissions. Many lawmakers, including some liberals, fear a political backlash against new fees. They lean toward a cap-and-trade system

Comparing the last two Administrations, I would say that the economists have more influence when a Democrat is President. But I'm not sure that will continue to hold.

Making the case for the economists is, of course, Greg Mankiw (in a column in the New York Times.)