Synopses & Reviews
A provocative critique of the Obama administration's economic policies and an examination of America's difficult economic futureDuring the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama promised "a net spending cut" to make government smaller in order to reduce the deficit. But this huge increase in government spending and debt, and the resulting prospect of higher taxes, will make America a poorer country. Are Americans happier because the government has determined where this money should be spent? According to John Lott and Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist, the answer is no, and in Debacle: Obama's War on Jobs and Growth and What We Can Do Now to Regain Our Future they explain why.
Obama's economic policies have raised unemployment, slowed economic growth, dramatically raised the national debt, squandered taxpayer money through poor investments, and damaged the housing market. The book explains why Obama's policies on spending, taxes, and regulation have all worked to harm the recovery, increase unemployment, and depress housing prices.
- The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the deficits that President Obama proposes for the years from 2011 through 2020 come to a staggering $126,000 per family of four, and John Lott and Grover Norquist make clear why the costs outweigh the benefits
- Explains why Keynesian economics is more a way of transferring wealth to political constituencies than a legitimate economic theory for understanding how the economy operates
- Posits that Obama's economic policies were more an opportunity "to do big things" than to solve the country's economic problems
Arguing that the policies of the Obama administration have created widespread economic chaos, Debacle is a bleak look at American finance from Grover Norquist.
Synopsis
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama promised time after time "a net spending cut" to make government smaller in order to cut the deficit. But the huge increase in government spending and debt, and the resulting higher future taxes will make America a poorer country. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the deficits that President Obama proposes for the years from 2011 through 2020 come to a staggering $126,000 per family of four. That is on top of the $35,000 per family already chalked up under the first two years of Obama's administration. But has all the new government been worth it? Are Americans happier because the government has determined where this money should be spent? The answer is clearly no.
Obama's economic policies have raised unemployment, slowed economic growth, dramatically raised the national debt, squandered taxpayer money through poor investments, and further damaged the housing market. The economy will eventually grow, though slowly. The No Tax Pledge will explain why Obama's policies on spending, taxes, regulation have all worked to harm the recovery, increased unemployment, and depressed housing prices. This debate is part of a broader debate over Keynesian economics most notably involving Paul Krugman in the New York Times. The authors plan on dissecting these arguments and explaining why Keynesianism represents more a way of transferring wealth to desired political constituencies than it provides a legitimate economic theory for how the economy operates.
Synopsis
Are Americans better off today than they were before Barack Obama was elected to office? Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist and economist John Lott don't think so, and in
Debacle: Obama's War on Jobs and Growth and What We Can Do Now to Regain Our Future, they argue that huge increases in government spending, mounting debt, massive new regulations, and higher effective marginal income taxes are seriously hurting the country.
Exploring the ways in which Obama's economic policies have contributed to the high unemployment rate, slowed economic growth, produced dramatically higher national debt, and damaged the housing market, Norquist and Lott contend that Obama's views on spending, taxes, and regulation have worked to harm—rather than help—our recovery from the so-called "Great Recession."
Arguing that the Obama administration used the financial crisis more as an opportunity "to do big things" than to solve the country's economic problems, the book examines the players involved in the meltdown, Obama's failed attempts to put the country back on track, and much more. Rejecting the President's use of Keynesian economics as a way of giving money to wealthy political supporters rather than as a legitimate way of understanding how the economy operates, Norquist and Lott offer a fresh perspective.
The cost of Obama's policies have greatly outweighed the benefits, and Norquist and Lott have solutions for getting the country back on track. Offering a comprehensive 12-step plan that covers everything from reforming the federal tax code to reducing industry regulation, Debacle outlines a clear path to putting America back in pole position.
Synopsis
Praise for DEBACLE"Debacle will end the claims of Paul Krugman and his ilk that poor, put-upon Obama did the best anyone could do with a recession he inherited. To the contrary, Lott and Norquist convincingly demonstrate that Obama took specific actions that made the recession much worse. A lot of Democrats got wealthy under Obama, but Obama's Democrats-get-rich-quick policies destroyed millions of jobs and left Americans with a massive debt hangover. Every American with a bank account should read this book."
—Ann Coulter, best-selling author and syndicated columnist
"Lott and Norquist have penned a persuasive indictment of President Obama's economic record.¿ Jammed with facts and built on a mountain of carefully catalogued evidence, this is a potent resource for anyone who wants to help replace Mr. Obama in the Oval Office."
—Karl Rove, former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush
"This is the book that everyone concerned about the future of America must read. Norquist and Lott serve up a depressing but sobering picture of today's economy along with a roadmap of solutions to move the country forward."
—Haley Barbour, former Governor of Mississippi
"President Obama's economic policy has been catastrophic for liberty, enterprise, and the American dream—the very archetype of what not to do to end recession. Debacle documents how this happened and why, with outstanding research, facts, and clear thinking. Reading this book is like digging through the rubble of a man-made disaster: It is painful but necessary for going forward to restore prosperity and opportunity."
—Jeffrey Tucker, executive editor, Laissez-Faire Books
About the Author
Grover G. Norquist is President of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), a taxpayer advocacy group he founded in 1985 at the request of President Reagan. ATR is a coalition of taxpayer groups, individuals, and businesses opposed to higher taxes at the federal, state, and local levels. It organizes the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which asks all candidates for federal and state office to commit themselves in writing to oppose all tax increases.
John R. Lott, Jr is an economist who has held research and/or teaching positions at the University of Chicago, Yale, Stanford, UCLA, Wharton, and Rice, and was the chief economist at the United States Sentencing Commission from 1988 to 1989. Lott has published over 100 articles in academic journals. He has authored six books including More Guns, Less Crime; Freedomnomics; The Bias Against Guns; and Are Predatory Commitments Credible? He is a contributor and a weekly columnist for FoxNews.com. Lott's Opinion pieces have appeared in several publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Post, USA Today, and the Chicago Tribune, and he has appeared on television programs including ABC and NBC National Evening News broadcasts, Fox News, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and the Today Show. He received his PhD in economics from UCLA.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction The Players 1
Chapter 1 The Financial Crisis 7
Chapter 2 The Worst Recovery on Record 23
Chapter 3 The Stimulus Made Things Worse 35
Chapter 4 Would the Economy Have Been in Worse Shape without the Stimulus? 85
Chapter 5 Regulatory Thuggery 121
Chapter 6 We Have Seen What Happened under Obama. So Now What Do We Do? 159
Conclusion Obama’s Legacy 201
Appendix Looking at the Fifty States 211
About the Authors 217
Index 219