Who created more debt: Bush or Clinton?

Question

adjusted to today's dollar

Answer 1

George W Bush has created more debt than all former U.S. President COMBINED. Does that answer your question? There is no adjustment to the dollar that we can do to justify that.

Answer 2

While I do respect Clinton for actually generating a surplus, it is sort of like comparing apples and oranges.

Clinton presided over a period when the economy was growing. A lot of this growth was caused by factors not created by Clinton.

1. Cheap fuel.
2. Internet boom.
3. A economy that was on the upswing when he took over.
4. The "peace dividend" that was created when the USSR fell.

On the other hand, Bush took over an economy that started to downturn when he took over. In addition, Clinton's inability to do anything about al Qaeda lead, at least in part, to the 9/11 tragedy and the spending that followed (Homeland Security department, War in Afghanistan, etc).

Answer 3

It is Congress that ultimately decides federal spending, not the President, and Clinton's Congress did a hell of a lot better at restraining spending than Bush's Congresses have. That is not to say Bush has been the small-government conservative we wanted, because he has not been. Nonetheless, if Clinton had had his way, his spending would have been out of control. Just start with Hillarycare.

Answer 4

Presidents don't really create debt, as discretionary fiscal policy and taxation is primarily in the hands of congress, while actual tax revenues and entitlement spending are out of anyone's direct control (tax revenues depend on economic activity, for instance).

In the 90s, the enjoyed the temporary benefits of the dot-com bubble, and the end of the Cold War allowed Congress to slash military spending.

Today, the war that started with 9/11 has prompted increased military spending, so the 'peace dividend' we spent in the 90s is being called back in with interest & penalties, and while the economy has managed some growth in most of those years, it's nothing like the tech bubble of the prior decade.

Answer 5

Clinton reduced debt by reducing the number of military personel and closing bases. Just looking at the debt is not good policy. You have to consider why it has increased or decreased. The debt always increases in time of war. You antiwar liberals have no concept of this tho. You're spineless when it comes to our security.

You wine because our military is stretched so thin and forget how we got to that point in the 1st place.

Liberlism is a mental disorder.

Answer 6

Well Bill Clinton had us on our way out of debt-remember if not there is proof-Bush has taken us into trillions of dollars debt and this is why our country is failing no other reason. Clinton was good people had money the dollar wasn't down like it is now and people could pay their mortgage's look at all the forclosures it's like when he was governor of Texas and 2 million lost their homes through the SNL scandel-Bush's good for nothing except dogs pisng on them!

Answer 7

The national debt increased by over 35% under Clinton. Despite the surpluses. Facts is facts. [Edit] But Bush the bigger debt. But he also inherited an economy in recession and then there was the economic hit from 9/11.

And the $4.5 trillion increase under Bush is hardly due to the $600 billion outlays for the war, even if you use the questionable Democrat numbers which say the true cost is over $1 trillion.

The debt is due mainly to the unconscionable spending on "entitlements", which are not supported either legally or in principle in the Constitution. Throw in all the other spending that has no true Constitutional justification, and you're talking almost $1.7 trillion out of a $2.7 trillion annual federal budget.

That's where the debt comes from.

Answer 8

Bush has spent more than all previous presidents combined. That includes Reagan who had done the same thing up to then. That's why we are in a recession and may be headed into another depression.

Answer 9

Bush.... .There was a huge surplus during the Clinton administration. They actually paid the debt down, instead of accumulating more, like Bush has done (both jr and sr).

Answer 10

Bush of course.