Are Bushs Tax Cuts Responsible for Growth?
By Bruce Bartlett Students of philosophy will recognize a logical fallacy that is usually quoted in Latin: post hoc ergo propter hoc. Basically, it means that just because B follows A, it doesn’t mean that A caused B. There may not necessarily be any relationship between the two at all. Only careful analysis can establish such a relationship. Unfortunately, much of the debate about President Bush’s tax cuts relies on this logical fallacy. Supporters of the tax cuts point to a healthy economy, as evidenced by recent economic statistics. Since tax cuts preceded the economic expansion, therefore the expansion was caused by the tax cuts. By implication, we would still be wallowing in recession had President Bush not pushed large tax cuts through Congress.
