President Barack Obama's economic report card is at best mediocre. I'd give him a C+, while acknowledging that presidents usually don't much influence the economy. It's too big and subject to too many complex forces, from new technologies to global conditions.
Moreover, policy levers are shared with Congress (taxes, spending), the Federal Reserve (financial markets) and regulatory agencies. Presidents often get blamed or credited for the economy when they don't deserve either. But during crises, presidents acquire power. That's why Obama will be —and should be —judged on the economy's performance.
More interesting than my overall grade are its components. For the first six months, I'd award him an A-; for the rest, a C- or D. I'd weigh the two grades equally, because he deserves a lot of credit for stopping the economic free-fall when he took office.
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