Here are three charts showing fiscal discipline for every president since Ronald Reagan. They show three things.
First, Republicans raise a lot less revenue than Democrats. Second, Republicans blow up spending while Democrats keep it under control. Third, as a result, deficits generally get worse under Republicans and improve under Democrats.
There's a bonus fourth chart at the bottom that shows annual GDP growth. Democratic presidents rank first and third, so there's obviously no penalty for Democratic policies.
POSTSCRIPT: Is the spending chart unfair to Donald Trump since it includes a lot of bipartisan COVID spending? Sure. But his second budget was 6.3% higher than his first one. He was on track to blow up spending all on his own.
chart 3 appears to say the opposite of your claim. Should the header read 'reduction in deficit' instead of 'change in deficit?'
Yeah, to reinforce exgop123's observation, it seems like your signs are probably reversed on the third chart. Otherwise it doesn't show what you claimed.
It's nice to track these figures to the person in the White House, but ignoring the role Congress plays in taxing and spending make this a bit incomplete...
tango- Second that! My 2 cents- The role of congress AND k-St.
(one and the same?)
K-St is the liberal's "Maginot Line". Proposed spending comes with promises the needed revenue will come from increasing taxes only on the haves. But by the time those revenue bills get through the gauntlet of the lobbyists, the haves don’t pony up an extra cent so the tax bill gets paid by . . . the rest of us, fueling conservative’s campaign fodder- “They raised your taxes”
I need a clarification regarding Bush-2. Does his spending include or exclude the Iraq War? It seems that the cost of the War is often not included in the accounting for his administration.
Looking at the numbers, I believe they include all spending. It would be a bit of work to eliminate the cost of the Iraq war from the numbers because there is no line item in the Federal budget labelled "Iraq War."
But what's important is that Republicans spend a lot of money blowing up (and incarcerating) nonwhite and poor people, while Democrats spend a lot of money helping them. Something something mah hard-earned tax dollers something immigrant welfare Obamaphones something.
See also Davis X Machina on sparrows and curtain rods, and Lyndon Johnson on emptying one's pockets.
The party of "fiscal responsibility", folks! R concern over deficits was of course always a smokescreen to cut spending they didn't like, but people went along with that hook, line, and sinker for a surprisingly long time.
You used to be to set your watch by concern over the federal deficit in the media only when a D president was in charge, but seems like they don't even bother with that anymore.
There are four charts. I see four. Your evil Cardassian mind tricks will not break me.