The Atlantic

How Much Do Tax Cuts Really Matter?

The economic records of former presidents hold a lesson for Donald Trump.
Source: Pavel Golovkin / AP

The annual Census Bureau report on income and poverty released last week closes the book on former President Barack Obama’s economic record. But it opens the door to questioning the claim from President Trump and congressional Republicans that cutting taxes and federal regulations is the key to accelerating economic growth.

With the Census measures from 2016 now public, it’s possible to compare the economic records of the past four two-term presidents. Over their respective eight years, Bill Clinton and Obama each raised taxes on the affluent and generally increased federal regulation of

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