Thus far, it would appear that Democrats have a slight edge in this area. In a recent Bloomberg survey, 45 percent of respondents said that they blame congressional Republicans for the problems in Washington, while 39 percent blame congressional Democrats or the president.
Taking Credit for Economic Success Can Be Difficult
This is a lesson that politicians may still have to learn, now that the president and House Speaker John Boehner have released rival job-creation plans. Wide gulfs in economic philosophy separate the two men, but their job-creation ideas have one thing in common: They could take months or years to be truly effective, even after they have gone through the legislative process. If that success comes after Election Day, that means little political reward. Opponents of infrastructure spending, for example, have noted that the policy works so slowly on boosting economic growth that it is difficult to time that spending effectively. Additionally, as reaction to the stimulus package showed, it is easy to raise doubts about a program that helps to create jobs.
Twitter: @titonka
- Read about how public-sector job losses are weighing on the recovery.
- See what the Fed might do to help the economy.
- Read what top journalists remember about 9/11.
Reader Comments Read all comments (1)
Joseph Roland of FL 8:36PM September 18, 2011