Hi, Shrewd!        Login  
Shrewd'm.com 
A merry & shrewd investing community
Best Of PoliticsBest OfAll BoardsThe Shrewd’m WeeklyLearn to InvestHow to Become Shrewd
Search
Shrewd'm.com Merry shrewd investors
Search
Best Of PoliticsBest OfAll BoardsThe Shrewd’m WeeklyLearn to InvestHow to Become Shrewd


The week's question
In March 2025, in the thread "Re: OT, out", Umm asked the members: "Do you think it is because America is made up of magical soil that makes businesses based in America magically profitable?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
Answer this questionContinue to Shrewd'mThis note won't appear again
Halls of Shrewd'm / US Policy
Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (39) |
Author: lizgdal ✶☼  😊 😞
Number: of 86260 
Subject: Re: Priorities
Date: 11/01/24 10:55 PM
Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!
No. of Recommendations: 7
What is her top economic priority? ...
I can answer that for Trump, pretty easily. It's tariffs and protectionism. That's something he cares passionately about, something that's a reason why he's running for office. He wants a more mercantilist economic policy, with the U.S. negotiating preferential deals rather than a global "most favored nation" free trade regime. He's got other non-economic priorities (The Border!), but that's his top one on the economy. Number two would be tax cuts.


The U.S. trade balance hasn't changed much in the last 15 years: we import about 15% of GDP, and export about 12% of GDP. Trump's first term policies created headlines, but did not change the top line numbers. The top line numbers are small anyway. Most of the U.S. economy is domestic production and consumption.

  DATE    Imports  Exports  Balance
7/1/2024 14% 11% -3%
7/1/2023 14% 11% -3%
7/1/2022 15% 12% -3%
7/1/2021 14% 11% -4%
7/1/2020 13% 10% -3%
7/1/2019 14% 12% -3%
7/1/2018 15% 12% -3%
7/1/2017 15% 12% -3%
7/1/2016 15% 12% -3%
7/1/2015 15% 12% -3%
7/1/2014 16% 13% -3%
7/1/2013 16% 13% -3%
7/1/2012 17% 14% -3%
7/1/2011 17% 14% -4%
7/1/2010 16% 12% -4%
7/1/2009 14% 11% -3%


Imports and Exports as Percent of GDP
St. Louis Fed (FRED): Imports of Goods and Services/Gross Domestic Product | FRED

And there is a similar story on the border. Obama deported more people than Trump, and Trump did not come close to his promise of "the largest deportation in history". Again, Trump's actions in his first term generated headlines, but did not change the actual number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. by much. Trump is lots of talk, but no results.

Trump did deliver on his 2nd economic priority: tax cuts for billionaires.
Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!
Print the post
Members reply directly to lizgdal here — and replies get answered. Reading is free; so is joining the conversation. Join Shrewd'm »
This community has written 86,214 posts about US Policy. The article-length ones it recommended most:
It's going to get worse · 33 recs · 2025
G’day Donny · 30 recs · 2026
Old Related Story · 28 recs · 2026
HCR is a national treasure · 27 recs · 2025
Fascism in America · 27 recs · 2025
Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (39) |


Announcements
US Policy FAQ
Contact Shrewd'm
Contact the developer of these message boards.

Best Of Politics | Best Of | Favourites & Replies | All Boards | Followed Shrewds | Open Questions | Moving a community