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Dichotomy: The Rise Of The Republican Party

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As the 2016 US Presidential Election rapidly approaches, Americans continue to stand divided by party lines, with the moderates being tugged on both sides, with hopes that swaying them will put a candidate in office. However, in this critical moment that recurs every 4 years in the nation’s history, the dichotomy is drawn even deeper between the Republican and Democratic parties, with candidates on either side suggesting radically different solutions to the nation’s problems. Paul Krugman, a famous American economist, would support Hillary Clinton for the 2016 National Democratic Primary and the 2016 Presidential Election due to the unrealistic growth expectations Republicans are promising, the healthy economic policy liberals support, and …show more content…

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush promises 4% national growth if elected, which prompted Krugman to bash him, calling his claims “Jeb!onomics” and unrealistic (“Voodoo, Jeb! Style”). However, citing evidence of past US presidents by party affiliation and associated growth rates reveals that neither party can realistically promise a particular growth rate according to Krugman, proof that Republicans’ claims about future growth are both outlandish and misleading. Another serious point of contention for Krugman concerning the Republican Party lies in their historical use of Republican-led state government and successful economic growth during their terms. Krugman has debunked these claims, showing how Texas’ growth during Governor Rick Perry’s term was largely the product of Sunbelt-focused migration and a fracking boom (“Lone Star Stumble”). He also pointed out that California, an economically-liberal state which is disparaged by Republicans continues to experience unprecedented growth despite their “liberally-doomed politics”. Krugman’s strong distrust of Republican economic policy means he has long been a liberally-leaning individual, and with this shift comes support for the most popular Democratic candidate: Hillary …show more content…

One conservative remark that especially upset Krugman was made by Jeb Bush regarding the fact that “Americans should just work longer hours to restore the economy” (“The Laziness Dogma”). Krugman fiercely attacks this suggestion, referring to international studies showing Americans already work longer hours and take less vacations than citizens of any other developed nation on Earth. Luckily, Krugman sees value in the liberal school of economics, and fondly remembers his background in M.I.T.-influenced Keynesian economics of the 20th century that drove much American and European economic growth. He pointed out the many monetary successes of the Keynesian-style economists, while also mentioning how their bold and progressive moves were stifled by right-wing pressure (“The M.I.T. Gang”). Krugman thus sides with liberals and their economic policies, who regularly support his preferred policy suggestions. Krugman even complimented Clinton’s economic stance in the 2016 election, calling it an “effective consensus among Democrats” (“The Laziness

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