Paul Boothe, director of Ivey’s Lawrence National Centre for Policy and Management, makes the case for which Canadian Prime Minister between 1994 and present day managed the economy best. In an article for Maclean’s Magazine Boothe examines three specific fiscal measures including real GDP growth, unemployment rate and wages and salaries as a yardstick comparing the three Prime Ministers during that timeframe.
“Truth be told, most economists don’t believe that politicians actually manage the economy, although their policies can certainly affect the level of activity in the short run and its rate of growth in the long run,” said Boothe. “However, given that they can’t seem to refrain from claiming the credit when the economy is growing well, we think it is interesting to look at what actually happened under their stewardship.”
