> Clinton for example, left at the peak of the DotCom bubble, and was bouyed by capital gains tax revenue, whereas Bush left during the Great Recession. Defici

> Clinton for example, left at the peak of the DotCom bubble, and was bouyed by capital gains tax revenue, whereas Bush left during the Great Recession. Deficit increases under these presidents isn't as much on the business cycle as you indicate. For example, Clinton enjoyed higher capital gains tax revenue, but he also signed legislation to increase taxes (which obviously impact the deficit). Conversely, Bush chose not to include substantial additional revenue in his recession-era emergency spending plans. Both were policy choices that entirely support the OP's point. In fact, although Trump and Biden were not included in the list, they are following the same schema. Trump cut tax revenue and then didn't offset massive deficit spending on his way out the door. Biden's signature economic plan is stalled in part because he is making efforts at offsetting spending with increased revenue.