The Question
The picture above is the answer to a question apparently unknown to even the most astute. On June 19 in the NYT, Paul Krugman (subscription required) listed the economic growth during the last five presidencies.
- Clinton 3.7%
- Reagan 3.4%
- Obama 2.1%
- Bush I 2.0%
- Bush II 1.6%
His point is that Republican candidates are promoting old economic policies claiming they will lead to high growth, but there is little evidence of this. He also points out that Jeb Bush’s claim to have been the source of Florida’s 4.4% growth is specious. The growth was due to the massive housing bubble that devastated Florida and the rest of the country when popped.