Despite all the propaganda about the Republicans being the party of small government. Government has actually grown under Republican Presidents:
- Federal government expenditures, as a percentage of the economy (source) were the highest of any President since WWII during the Reagan/Bush I administrations (22.2%). During that same period the budget deficit grew to an average -4.1% of GDP. It had only been -2.4% under Jimmy Carter. We went from near budget surpluses (-.8) under Clinton to massive budget deficits under George W. Bush (-2.1).
- Under Bill Clinton expenditures were only slightly higher than under George W. Bush (19.9 to 19.6). This is still higher than under the Kennedy/Johnson administrations (18.9).
- How is this being paid for (or not being paid for)? Not with corporate taxes. Corporate taxes as percent of total Federal expenditures are lower today (source) than there were under every President since the Great Depression. It began with the Reagan administration when it was 9%. Corporate taxes went up under Clinton (11%). Before it went back down again under W. Bush (9.5%)
