How Big a Spender Was Bush II?
Compared to all presidents, 1952-2008, here’s Bush II’s record:
Measure #1: Annual Change in Total Real Spending: 4.9% – second only to LBJ
Measure #2: Annual Change in Total Real Spending, not counting interest on the federal debt: 4.6% – second only to LBJ
Measure #3: Annual Change in Total Real Non-Defense Spending, not counting interest: 5.4% – fifth.
Fun fact: Republicans presided over both the largest and smallest changes in Measure #3: It grew at 9.8% under Nixon and 1.0% under Reagan.
Extra fun fact: Even by Measure #3, Clinton was second only to Reagan.
HT: Chris Edwards
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