Republicans are traditionally known for supporting tax cuts to help fix an ailing economy. President Obama and the Democrat Congress have generally steered clear of that method -- and intentionally broken more than promise not to raise taxes on Americans making less than $250,000 annually.
The President's economic advisor Christina Romer recently said that "tax cuts have positive output effects." Why doesn't this rhetoric seep into Obama's policy decisions? In a paper entitled "The Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Changes: Estimates Based on a New Measure of Fiscal Shocks," you can read the telling quote from Romer.
The article preview proves what an important document it is, saying, "This paper investigates the impact of tax changes on economic activity. We use the narrative record, such as presidential speeches and Congressional reports, to identify the size, timing, and principal motivation for all major postwar tax policy actions."