The Atlantic interviews Nobel-prize winning economist Angus Deaton. Far-ranging questions about politics and economics are broached. Deaton coauthored a study about how mortality rates for middle-aged white Americans is actually increasing. White rural drug use seems to be a big part of the story. But are poor white Americans really voting in their best interests when they vote for someone like Trump? Why are they so anti-government when they receive government benefits? How do you compare living in these parts of America versus being in an extremely poor country abroad?

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https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/03/angus-deaton-qa/518880/