Bill Clinton was a great President and was steward over a great economy which he deserves much credit for.
Policy related economic changes lag implementation by a significant degree, usually by several years. This is a often forgotten point as it takes time for businesses to develop a sound investment strategy and to implement it. Lots of questions have to be answered such as where to expand, should we build new or find resale? Should we buy or rent property? Buying undeveloped land can take over a year just to clear regulatory hurdles such as feasibility studies, impact statements, environmental testing, and basic site development. For larger projects, this can take years before the actual facility gets completed. Evidence that some Leftist ET posters don’t realize this include comments that Trump’s tax cuts were not working after just two weeks after being enacted.
This lag between effective policy and actual results can be attributed those policy changes has caused certain US political leaders to be blamed for economic downturns that were not their fault as well as other leaders receiving credit they did not deserve. There is apparently evidence that the US economy was talked down during Bush, Sr administration for political reasons. Bush, Jr was mostly responsible for the Great Recession because he pressured the Federal Reserve to maintain excessive liquidity while speculation was running rampant and was further encouraged by financial institutions ignoring sound loan underwriting practices.
Trumps tax cuts and reduction of overbearing regulations encourages long term business investment. Political instability does not. Business investment results in more jobs. As more people get employed, there is more demand goods and services that require more business investment for a virtuous cycle. Again, this takes years. Complicating matters are that large group of heavy spenders known as the baby boomers are aging. The US and other developed countries are experiencing a long term demographic shift in population that will cause great dislocation in consumer spending patterns. It will take great leadership, cooperation, and genius for the world to avoid a lengthy depression.
To be more vivid, we need Trump’s leadership, Democratic and media cooperation, and the genius of world leading economists to avoid the economic, social, and geopolitical instabilities that a depression will bring.