Who Creates More Jobs: Democrats or Republicans?
Above is the title of a letter that I submitted today for publication in the Bernardsville News. [The letter was published on 02-09-12.] The full letter is below.
Pundits are using the phrase “fact-free” zone to describe much of our national political discussion. I introduce here the concept of a “fact-full” zone.
EDITOR:
Most political discussion today occurs in a “fact-free zone”: one that is characterized by ideology, sound-bite arguments, and just plain lies. The American people deserve better.
As a nation we have enormous challenges. Our discussion in this key election year should take place in a “fact-full zone”: one enriched by reason, integrity, and common sense.
Most important in the near term are jobs. Let’s begin here with some historical facts. I have used data from the Bureau of Labor to calculate the jobs created during each presidential term, from Eisenhower through George W. Bush.
Party control changed six times during these 56 years, creating four periods of Republican control and three of Democratic. I have computed the average annual rate of job growth during each period. These results are listed below in rank order, the highest rate of job growth first.
- Kennedy-Johnson eight years: 3.3% per year
- Carter four years: 3.1% per year
- Clinton eight years: 2.4% per year
- Nixon-Ford eight years: 1.9% per year
- Reagan-GHW Bush twelve years: 1.6% per year
- Eisenhower eight years: 0.8% per year
- GW Bush eight years: 0.1% per year
Notable is the fact that the three periods of Democratic control are all higher in the job-growth ranking than the four periods of Republican control. The often celebrated Reagan-Bush years were actually worse than the median period.
The average annual job growth during the 20 years of Democratic control (2.9%) was two and a half times the average during the 36 years of Republican control (1.1%).
The conclusion from these facts is beyond dispute: Democratic policies and practices have consistently produced more jobs than those of Republicans.
Most remarkable is the comparison of the healthy 2.4% average annual job growth under Bill Clinton with the puny 0.1% average annual job growth under George W. Bush.
When you hear someone argue that we should look to the Bush policies of low taxes and lax regulation in order to produce jobs, you may conclude that he (or she) is woefully ignorant of the historic record. Or he thinks you are.
For charts and more explanation of this data I invite you to the website JerseyGrandpa.org and to the article headed by Who creates more jobs …?
Bill Allen, 02-03-12