This book provides evaluations of American presidents over the course of 66 years of U.S. economic history, using quantitative data to provide credible, defensible answers to controversial questions like "Whose economic policies were more effective, Ronald Reagan's or Bill Clinton's?" The President as Economist: Scoring Economic Performance from Harry Truman to Barack Obama provides eye-opening insights about matters of critical importance for the future of the United States. Author Richard J. Carroll tackles a topic that he has researched and been focused on for more than 20 years, providing impartial assessments and rankings of each presidential administration according to numerous key performance indicators-quantitative data, not subjective opinions. The final chapter combines all of the data to present a numeric score (Presidential Performance Index-PPI) for each administration that allows an overall ranking of the 11 presidents. The analysis covers 66 years of U.S. economic history, ranging from 1946 through 2011. The earlier administrations of Harry S. Truman through Jimmy Carter set the context against which more recent presidencies are judged. This title will be an invaluable resource for everyone from general readers to students at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels, as well as journalists, lobbyists, and anyone directly or indirectly involved in the political process. An appendix provides the official data upon which the rankings are based

For the first time, trends in 20 major economic and federal budget indicators, most reported since World War II, are presented in a single source. The economic performances under each presidential administration are ranked for each indicator, as well as for their overall performance. The results are often surprising and counter-intuitive, challenging many popular beliefs. This presentation of averages, trends, and illustrations will allow scholars, students, and others interested in economics, politics, and history, to interpret economic news more effectively.

CQ's Desk Reference on the Economy includes more than 600 questions and answers covering U.S. economic issues in the context of our government institutions, as well as presidential and congressional policy. Students, researchers, and interested citizens can easily find understandable information they need about front-page, high-profile economic issues. CQ's Desk Reference on the Economy is designed to help voters, teachers, and students gain a basic understanding of the most important policies and issues in the U.S. economy. Readers will see the light go on perhaps for the first time ever as they begin to make more and more sense of such complicated issues as: Medicaid spending and the impact of managed care Social Security funding for future generations. Is the federal budget really balanced? What are the implications of the U.S. trade deficit? CQ's Desk Reference on the Economy also includes an historical context by tracking presidential and party-based economic performance since WWII, from Truman to Clinton. Especially valuable during this past year of presidential politics and debate, the book is a valuable tool to understanding what the economic policies of presidential candidates can mean for the pocketbooks of American voters, as well as helping students understand how the economy works in a democracy. CQ's Desk Reference on the Economy is the perfect basic reference for everyone who wants to understand more about the economic issues that affect them directly every day of their lives.