>>13728796>2017-2018 = $1.271>2018-2019 = $1.203Anon claimed stabilization, not reduction or elimination. But two data points are a bit thin data to go on. Had covid not hit and the deficit remained nearly the same, we could say it was stabilized, which isn't a good thing at that level.
What is weird about the deficit is that it really is a product of both the executive and legislative branches. While Congress is ultimately responsible since they pass the budget, the president sets the tone with the budget he submits (which they ignore and make their own) and of course he has veto authority (which can be override with enough Congressional support).
It's odd but I guess politically understandable why both parties play this game of blaming or crediting the president for deficit sizes when Congress has so much more responsibility for it. And then of course there are external factors, some created/influenced by government policy, some not, that cause different spending and income levels. Those caused by government policy, good and bad, often have a delayed effect, so those who get credited or blamed often shouldn't. But politics are about easy to digest sound bites, which is simply another consequence of nearly universal suffrage.
