The International Monetary Fund (IMF) tracks gross domestic product (GDP) both globally and by nation.  Their metrics are generally quite good.  They’ve downgraded the 2017 expectation to 2.1% from a prior forecast of 2.3%, in no small part to the abysmal 1.4% the U.S. turned in during the 1st quarter.  They’re currently projecting 2.1% for next year as well. This is a far cry from the 4% annual rate the Prez promised on the campaign trail, and the 3% he promised after taking office.

Admittedly, a president can’t be judged on the economics of his first year.  That said, a principal driver of the lousy 2018 forecast is the amazing lack of understanding this administration (and Congress, for that matter) has about the power of Fiscal Policy to drive the economy.  This lack of understanding can trace its roots to the early Reagan days and the GOP’s enamor with Milton Friedman.  The Chicago economists (and this is a wild oversimplification) preached monetary theory, holding that the entire economy was driven by the money supply, which could be improved with Tax Cuts.  This was in contrast to the Keynesians (and again, a wild oversimplification) who held that targeted fiscal policy was the order of the day.  Since the Kennedys were Keynesians (or at least Harvard graduates), then they had to be the enemy of all that was good.

Of course, many of us have been forecasting a recession for 2018 or so.  Why?  From a simple cyclical perspective, we’re long overdue.  My own thinking was that the Congress would enact a tighter budget which would be felt in the short-term, but that tax cuts wouldn’t be felt (if at all) until father out.  As it turns out, I was an optimist.  The budget cuts are draconian, and the tax cuts proposed will do nothing to add to consumption or investment.  (The former is patently obvious.  Give Bill Gates an extra million a year in tax cuts, and he’s not going to eat better or buy nicer clothes.  As for the investment side, money is already essentially free — overnight LIBOR is actually negative — and yet cash lays around on the sidelines looking for a new merger to fund.)

I’m presently not an optimist.  Neither are the economists at the IMF.  For a great synopsis of their report, read Rishi Iyengar’s report on CNN Money.