Key findings
- Since 1949, there has been a Democratic advantage in the average performance of key macroeconomic indicators measuring economic health, including:
- Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth
- Job growth
- Unemployment rate
- Growth in inflation-adjusted wages
- Growth of market-based incomes per capita
- Inflation
- Interest rates
- This Democratic advantage is across the board in all variables we measure but strongest in private-sector outcomes—notably, business investment, job growth, and the growth of market-based incomes.
- Household income growth (adjusted for inflation) was faster on average and far more equal during Democratic administrations, and the Democratic advantage shows up for every group.
Why this matters
We suspect that the simple facts on economic performance during Democratic and Republican administrations aren’t well known. Providing accurate economic information at a time of rampant misinformation supports an informed citizenry.
The US economy has performed better when the president of the United States is a Democrat rather than a Republican, almost regardless of how one measures performance…The superiority of economic performance under Democrats rather than Republicans is nearly ubiquitous: it holds almost regardless of how you define success. By many measures, the performance gap is startlingly large. (Blinder and Watson 2016)
This quote is not from an op-ed written by a political pundit; it’s from […]
If programs based on economics were analyzed, they would show that they flourish under Democratic administrations and become nearly dormant under Republican ones. Look at education—-look at all the state legislatures that just refuse to fund these programs properly and teachers are leaving in droves. Look at health care that is continually under assault by the GOP. How about food stamps? Climate control? Water and air improvement? Student loans that were out of control? Crime? The list goes on and on—-under Democratic Administrations these programs are not only saved but improved. That is one primary reason that this election is so important to re-elect Biden. Otherwise, Trump will once again support the rich and ignore the rest of the country!
I agree with you Stephan, and you also, Terri. I, unfortuately, live in a small city which is run by a totally Republican city government from the Mayor through the City Councel. They decided to put in new cement sidewalks with trees on the corner of most properties. The tree they planted on the Eastern side of my property totally shades my tomato garden, which has been their for decades, and now I cannot grow anything larger than a peanut sized tomato. I am going to prune that tree down to about half the size it is, as soon as I can get some help. I do have permission from city council, at least, to do the pruning. They never said how much I can prune it, but I know what it will take to grow my tomatoes again.