The Obligations of a Policy Economist

It is impossible for me to begin this short talk with anything other than a heartfelt thank-you to the members of this association for making me the recipient of this year's Award for Outstanding Public Service Through Economics. I'm not the kind of person who gets awards and, as with many of the honors given to government figures in Washington, DC, from which I hail, it's undeserved! You should note, however, that I came to Halifax yesterday afternoon to be sure I was here to receive the award today, so I hope you know how pleased and honored I am to be here.