More bad news for the economy plagues the headlines of every major news organization. Disappointing jobs reports emerge quarter after quarter, GDP (Growth Domestic Product) slows to a staggering 1.1%, and our deficit takes to flight, leaving our economy in the dust. The chart below illustrates our struggling GDP, courtesy of (Matalon 2016). Over the past seven years, GDP grew at a disappointing average of 2.1%, the slowest growth rate in American history since the 1940’s. The results show the weakest economic recovery since the Great Depression. The state of the economy has garnered attention from both presidential hopefuls.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have both vowed to ignite economic growth in America and to restore jobs for …show more content…
Last year, America traded at a deficit of 800 billion dollars! (Trump n.d.). The best way to increase wage growth and to ignite our economy is the creation (or reclaiming) of jobs in America. The U.S. has lost to horrible trade deals where the nation has eliminated high paying manufacturing jobs and done so only to buy these goods back at a deficit. Restructuring of trade deals will require a bi-partisan effort with the support of Congress. Trump’s plan will also require a withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which has not yet been ratified. Trump’s vision to economic recovery is feasible but will require support from Congress in order to enact and revise current trade policies with foreign governments. In closing, bolstering manufacturing jobs and ceasing to trade at a deficit will empower our economy and increase growth for the American …show more content…
Hillary has voiced that she will put her husband in charge of the economy “Because, you know, he knows how to do it," (Kaplan 2016). Several charts adversely illustrate the economic impacts of former President Clinton’s trade agreements. In short, we have outsourced millions of jobs and lose billions annually in trade deficits. Another term of bad economic policy could prove catastrophic for our struggling economy. Additionally, Hillary Clinton campaigned in March of this year boasting “We're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business."(Kaplan 2016) It is unclear how eliminating more jobs and exports will in turn grow an economy. Hillary’s envision of putting coal miners out of work is possible by strengthening the EPA and imposing stricter regulation for clean / renewable energy, an emphasis item for the Democratic party. Her plan, as she has stated, will ride on her husband’s back of successes, or failures, depending on which aspects you