Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Debate over the stimulus

A new link from the Brookings Institute. Here a simple argument is presented regarding the debate over the success of the Obama stimulus efforts. The message is clear, if the stimulus had not been passed then the effects of the recession would have been profoundly worse. However, is this an adequate interpretation of the recession relief efforts? Can we really be assessing the effects of the stimulus when so much of it has yet to be spent? The Obama administration has openly admitted that the time frame of its plan to handle the recession is in years not quarters. With this in mind, it seems premature to be gauging the effects of the current stimulus with more traditional measures. However, this does not simply give a blank check to those in power. Economic policies that continue to be enacted should based upon both short term and long term considerations....something those in Washington have not historically been very good at.