The One Question You Can Ask to Uncover a President’s Economic Principles

A principle, the dictionary offers, is "a fundamental idea or general rule that is used as a basis for a particular theory or system of belief." Principles are thus "basic truths." They explain "how something works or why something happens." We can adopt timeless principles as moral rules to guide our behavior.

Stubbornly adhering to an opinion, forcibly expressing your opinion, or finding others who agree with your idea doesn't elevate your opinion to a principle.