Unmasking America and The US Economy: Are We Setting the Stage for 1970s-Style Economic Malaise or The Roaring Twenties?
On Thursday, President Biden surprised many Americans – including some of his own staff – by declaring the unmasking of America. The CDC issued new guidelines saying that vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors or out – and even Mitch McConnell chimed in, saying he felt free at last. What are the politics of this moment, and what are the knock-on effects for the American economy? Are federal unemployment benefits affecting the job market, and is there a risk that all that government spending may lead to inflation, higher interest rates, and to use a term associated with one previous Democratic president, “economic malaise?” Tom Bevan, co-founder and president of RealClearPolitics, Carl Cannon, Washington Bureau Chief, and Greg Orman, a frequent contributor to RCP, former independent candidate for governor and senator in Kansas, and author of A Declaration of Independents, join moderator Andrew Walworth on today’s RealClearPolitics Takeaway podcast.