Holding elected officials accountable for their actions and idolizing politicians, whether it be because of Generation Z, cancel culture or social media, are only gaining popularity.
All too often, blame and praise are given to the wrong individuals because of overlaps in policies and socio-economic trends. Untangling the nuances between the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations and the effects on the economy, health care and the climate crisis is crucial to making an informed vote in November.
According to a voter issues survey conducted by Statista in July, 25% of Americans were most concerned about inflation and prices, and another 10% were most concerned about jobs and the economy – both issues being top-of-mind for the two presidential candidates.
Surface-level observations of the economy, commonly in the form of lower gas prices, during the Trump administration are common among his supporters.
To start, the president has little control over gas prices – it is largely dependent on supply and demand in the oil industry.
However, according to Forbes, the average price per gallon of gas declined in 2015 and 2016 – the last two years of former President Obama’s second term. In 2017 and 2018, gas prices actually increased under former President Trump. The lowest price per gallon under Trump’s tenure was in 2020 – and was still $0.01 higher than Obama’s lowest.
Trump inherited declining gas prices from Obama, and President Biden inherited an economy suffering due to a pandemic. Trump’s upward trend may have continued to increase in his last year if it weren’t for a global shutdown. And President Biden may not have had such an evident spike without a return to normalcy and refusal to fund Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through payments for oil.
On the current campaign trail, Trump has touted his efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs, including insulin. However, his repeal of Obama’s Affordable Care Act without an alternative left President Biden with the responsibility of passing legislation to ensure Americans could afford life-saving drugs.
According to CNBC, “Under the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden issued a host of provisions aimed at bringing down the price of medicine for seniors, including capping the price of insulin at $35 per month for Medicare recipients. The president has continued to push for a more universal insulin cap that would cover younger people as well.”
Because the Affordable Care Act was repealed and the $35 insulin cap followed, many praised Trump for the cost-effective solution when President Biden enacted the cap in response to Trump’s lack of healthcare policy.
In 2017, Trump announced his plan to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement – a global response to the threat of climate change. Trump’s emphasis on oil, gas and coal – non-renewable energy sources – ended up hurting the climate in terms of pollution and energy instability and the economy when supply chain issues occurred during the pandemic.
According to The Guardian, in 2020 – Trump’s final year in office – saw record numbers for climate-driven disasters. At least 262 people died with $95 billion in damages.
On Biden’s first day in office in 2021, he immediately re-entered the agreement, arguably with no choice as the leader of the world’s second-highest emitter of greenhouse gasses. Despite making a beneficial climate decision, President Biden received backlash for economic unpredictability, including rising electricity prices, gas prices and job losses.
However, former President Trump’s environmental rollbacks, including the withdrawal and his emphasis on non-renewable energy sources are actually at the root of the problem. The lack of investment in climate-friendly energy sources and an overdependence on fossil fuels left the administration that would follow severely unprepared.
Smaller aspects of the states of the economy, health care and the climate crisis like gas prices, the insulin cap and the Paris Climate Agreement are representative of the way that administrations are often blamed or praised for effects that they largely had nothing to do with.
Other aspects of these prominent voter issues, including inflation, abortion and the state of foreign affairs can often be assessed with the same notion of incorrect blame or praise.
Making a fully educated vote in November requires clearing up current ambiguities existing within administrations, their policies and effects. Voters must continue to hold elected officials accountable, but they must hold the correct ones accountable.
Layne Rey is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Layne know by tweeting her @laynerey12.
