Dad2three
Gold Member
- Jun 22, 2014
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The Deficit Explained And Fiscal Conservatism Debunked (In Two Graphs)
Note that the last five times we’ve had budget surpluses (four of them were Clinton budgets), revenue was near 20% of GDP. So that is a good guideline for the minimum size of govt Americans actually want in the modern age. But the Clinton surpluses were squandered in the Bush years when revenue dropped to below 15% of GDP and spending soared to 25%.
![DeficitSince1940.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.dailykos.com%2Fimages%2F80464%2Flarge%2FDeficitSince1940.jpg%3F1398633433&hash=bf5dfc1ebea4e55fbb9b3dfe7c193ce2)
![TwoSantasTheory.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.dailykos.com%2Fimages%2F80465%2Flarge%2FTwoSantasTheory.jpg%3F1398633692&hash=f5900bdfc785201e5790aca7a3df3985)
Note that the last five times we’ve had budget surpluses (four of them were Clinton budgets), revenue was near 20% of GDP. So that is a good guideline for the minimum size of govt Americans actually want in the modern age. But the Clinton surpluses were squandered in the Bush years when revenue dropped to below 15% of GDP and spending soared to 25%.