Donald Trump Learns the Hard Way That Governing Is Hard

Donald Trump swept into office on a populist wave. His promise of greater growth for the United States economy resonated with a large part of those disappointed with stagnant wages and a lack of opportunity. He said he would bring manufacturing jobs back and provide better healthcare coverage at a lower cost. All politicians know that they can make promises during a campaign that voters will not remember or that they will understand an administration not being able to accomplish, but the new team in Washington has an ambitious agenda and is off to a slow start. Trump has said that he expects to bring real GDP growth up to 4%, but he will be doing well if his stimulative initiatives result in 3% growth. We have been below 2% since the recovery began in 2009, the slowest comeback in the post–World War II period.