Claim from viral meme:
Since President Ronald Reagan, the federal deficit has grown under every Republican president and shrunk under every Democratic president.
Explanation:
The claim is mostly accurate when examining absolute deficit changes during each presidency, using data from the Office of Management and Budget. For example:
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Reagan: +$74B
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George H.W. Bush: +$102B
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Clinton: –$383B (surplus achieved)
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George W. Bush: +$1.5T
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Obama: –$747B (not –$825B as the meme states)
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Trump (first term): +$2.1T
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Biden: –$942.5B (as of 2024)
This pattern holds when considering nominal dollars, though using deficit as a percentage of GDP provides more nuance. For instance, under Trump, the deficit peaked at 11.7% of GDP in 2021 due to COVID-19 spending. Under Biden, it declined to 6.3%, still historically high but improved. Full data here: Federal Deficit as % of GDP – St. Louis Fed.
However, the claim lacks critical context. Presidents don’t control the budget alone; Congress holds the “power of the purse” under Article I, Section 9. Budget outcomes are shaped by the economic environment, congressional control, and major events like recessions or wars.
Conclusion:
Fact or Fiction? Mostly Fact. The meme accurately reflects deficit changes by party since Reagan in dollar terms. But it oversimplifies the complex interplay of congressional power, economic cycles, and GDP context.
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