Trump is Singlehandedly Manifesting Stagflation.
Probably the scariest, most dreaded term in economics is stagflation. Those who lived through the crisis in the 1970s can attest to this. In short, stagflation is defined as a period of low-to-no economic growth combined with high unemployment and high inflation. It’s a deadly recipe that took extraordinary measures to break the last time we experienced this phenomenon, and the method used back then is still highly contested territory.
If you’ve heard the term more often in recent months, it’s because some economists are beginning to fear a resurgence of stagflation due to the policies of the Trump administration. So today we’re doing a very deep dive into the economy to discuss the differences between now and the crisis of the ‘70s and show how Trump might be singlehandedly pushing us into an entirely new and preventable stagflation crisis.

Show Notes
Clips
Episode Timestamp + Link | Clip Link
- 00:02:54 | WBFF FOX45 Baltimore: Former President Trump used Tic Tacs to demonstrate inflation
- 00:14:20 | CTV News: Trump says the U.S. ‘doesn’t need’ Canada’s lumber, cars and energy
- 00:15:55 | CBS News: Trump threatens countries that buy oil, gas from Venezuela with tariffs
- 00:17:55 | PBS NewsHour: Elon Musk wields 'chainsaw for bureaucracy' on stage before speaking at CPAC
Resources
- Investopedia: What Is Stagflation, What Causes It, and Why Is It Bad?
- The New York Times: Strong Dollar vs. Weak Dollar
- Office of the Historian: Oil Embargo, 1973–1974
- Federal Reserve History: The Great Inflation
- NBER: The Nixon Shock after Forty Years: The Import Surcharge Revisited Douglas A. Irwin Working Paper 17749
- FRED: Personal Saving Rate
- FRED: New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- FRED: Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food in U.S. City Average
- BIG by Matt Stoller
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