Is there an assessment as to whether the programs of 2009-2012 helped the economy? (bankrupt, debt)

[Felix C]

I refer to Cash for Clunkers, the various QE efforts, budget stimulus,etc.

[cdelena]

Certain segments were helped (mostly on a temporary basis) by each program but it is debatable weather the economy would have been better off without all the government manipulation.

You will find opinions and good and bad studies but no definitive answer to your question. (my opinion almost always favors fewer/smaller government programs).

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by Felix C

Is there an assessment as to whether the programs of 2009-2012 helped the economy?
I refer to Cash for Clunkers, the various QE efforts, budget stimulus,etc.

There are lot's of them. But at this stage... they're almost entirely political in nature.

The most common of these (political) assessments being that what good was achieved...
was hindered by the R intransigence on debt and taxes.

It'll be twenty years before anything resembling an objective economic assessment can be made.

[andywire]

The history books will make the final call, and even that will depend largely on opinion. Truth is, we don't know what would have happened without these programs. Without a control group, it's impossible to draw a solid conclusion.

My opinion... The government simply spent money to take the place of depressed consumer spending. This did nothing to improve consumer confidence, and certainly did nothing to address the root causes of the recession. Call it an expensive bandaid if you will. Without these programs, the recession would have cut much deeper, but we probably would have had a more pronounced recovery.

What remains to be seen is the fallout from all the government's Frankenstein experiments with the economy. If inflation kicks in extra heavy, a large chunk of Americans will be hit hard, especially in an environment where wages continue to stagnate, and jobs are hard to come by for the masses.

[Retroit]

I think the results speak for themselves. Government stimulus creates economic problems. For example, the sub-prime mortgage crisis was the result of government promotion of home ownership.

[MilksFavoriteCookie]

QE only delays problem and allows White Shoe firms to make a killing so no

-Unemployment still high
-America already created a lost generation or should I say generations
-Well Financial Statements look good
-Companies promise outrageous returns like Whole Foods.
-Whole Foods boast 25% growth wow........

No it sucks. You can do research, but screw the economists and all the theories. Just look at the here and now. Look at the facts. What's the deficit? Unemployment rate? Lost generation? Taxes? All these impairment charges? Economy grew by how much since 2008?

Obama can't change anything. What he's doing is building a foundation.

[Felix C]

I was thinking the boom years would not have occurred if the practices which lead to the bust were not in play. Same with the long term effects of offshoring/outsourcing which reduced the costs of goods and services so consumers would be able to consumer more.

[Phil P]

There is no way that Cash for Clunkers did anything good for the economy. It was a complete waste of useful parts and cars. Sure it boosted the demand for new cars, but that took away from the demand for every other product as people did not have money to by an new car and something else. Sure it helped GM, but GM is severely stupid and should have went bankrupt. (Toyota produces more of their cars in the US than GM does. Oh, but GM is an American company - BS) Sure it got some of the more polluting cars of the road, but more pollution was made in creating the new cars than was saved by getting rid of the old cars. And do we want people to be buying more cars?

[mathjak107]

like taking medicine when you are sick. did the medicine make you better? did you get better on your own? was it a combo?

no one knows but no question we are a whole lot less bad.