Democratic Presidents Manage the Economy Better Than Republicans
- Ten of the last eleven recessions have occurred under Republican Presidents.
- Democratic presidents create more than twice as many jobs per year as Republican Presidents.
- Republican presidents' deficits are 54% larger than Democrats' and 65% higher as a percent of GDP.
- GDP grows 75% faster under Democratic Presidents.
- Business investment has grown twice as fast under Democratic Presidents than under Republican Presidents.
- Forbes Guest Post (11/7/16): The Economy Does Better Under The Democrats
BY JERE GLOVER -- By crucial metrics like GDP, job creation, business investment and avoiding recessions, the economy does a lot better with Democrats in the White House than with Republicans.
www.forbes.com
DEMOCRATS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
This data is compiled by offsetting a President's Administration by a year to account for the fact that the Federal budget for any given fiscal year is drafted and passed in the previous calendar year. For example, 1993's budget was drafted and passed in 1992, during the Bush administration, so that year is assigned to President Bush in this analysis, even though President Clinton was in office in 1993.
One exception has been made: 2009's ARRA was drafted and passed by the Obama administration, creating $114 billion of Federal outlays for 2009. That amount has been subtracted from President Bush's 2009 budget/deficit total and added to President Obama's.
Since World War 2
- More than twice as many jobs are created per year under Democratic Presidents than Republican Presidents (1.95 million jobs/year under Democratic Presidents versus 825,500 jobs/year under Republican Presidents.)
- Budget deficits under Republican Presidents have been $4 trillion more than under Democratic Presidents.
- Ten of the last eleven recessions have begun under Republican Presidents (www.nber.org/cycles.html)
Since 1962
- GDP growth has been 75% higher under Democratic Presidents.
- Business Investment Growth has been 126% higher under Democratic Presidents.
- Unemployment has been 15% higher under Republican Presidents.
- Average increase in weekly earnings have been positive under Democratic Presidents and negative under Republican Presidents
Job Growth
Democratic Presidents have helped create 21 million more jobs than Republican Presidents, and on year-to-year basis jobs have grown nearly twice as fast under Democratic Presidents as under Republican Presidents.
- Total jobs created under Democratic Presidents: 68,312,000
- Total jobs created under Republican Presidents: 32,194,000
- Average yearly growth in jobs under Democratic Presidents: 1,952,000
- Average yearly growth in jobs under Republican Presidents: 825,500
GDP Growth
Real Gross Domestic Product growth under Democratic Presidents has been
75% higher than during Republican Presidents.
- Average GDP growth per year under Democratic Presidents: 3.50%
- Average GDP growth per year under Republican Presidents: 2.02%
Business Investment Growth
Real business investment growth under Democratic Presidents has been
126% higher than under Republican Presidents.
- Average growth per year under Democratic Presidents: 6.6%
- Average growth per year under Republican Presidents: 2.92%
Federal Budget Deficits
Federal budget deficits under Republican Presidents collectively are
54% higher than under Democratic Presidents (as a percentage of GDP, Republican Presidents have been
65% higher than Democratic Presidents).
- Democratic Presidents' annual deficits averaged 2.07% of GDP
- Republican Presidents' annual deficits averaged 3.42% of GDP
- Total Democratic Budget Deficits: $8,085.1 billion
- Total Republican Budget Deficits: $12,442.5 billion
Unemployment
Unemployment under Republican Presidents has been
15% higher than under Democratic Presidents.
- Average unemployment per year during Democratic Presidents: 5.59%
- Average unemployment per year during Republican Presidents: 6.43%
Growth In Spending
Federal Spending has increased twice as fast under Republican Presidents than under Democratic Presidents
- Democratic Presidents' annual spending increased by an average of $36.9 billion per year
- Republican Presidents' annual spending increased by an average of $78.6 billion per year
Balance of Trade
Trade deficits under Republican Presidents have been 39% higher than under Democratic Presidents.
- Total trade deficit under Democratic Administrations (in millions): $5,625,690
- Total trade deficit under Republican Administrations (in millions): $7,042,879
#2020 data current as of July 2020 • Source: The Office of Management and Budget:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/historical-tables/. Table 1.1—Summary of Receipts, Outlays, and Surpluses or Deficits (-): 1789–2025; Table 1.2—Summary of Receipts, Outlays, and Surpluses or Deficits (-) as Percentages of GDP: 1930–2025 • 2020: Monthly Treasury Statement
$114 billion of 2009 Federal outlays are attributed to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed by President Obama’s Administration:
http://www.cbo.gov/publication/42682
For 2021 and 2022