Clinton/Trump Debate
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Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced off on Monday night in the first of the Presidential Debates. Though the candidates discussed a smattering of important topics, including national security and race relations, the candidates spent more time answering questions about the economy than any other topic [1]. This makes sense, given the United States' declining global competitiveness. Even though the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation have been cited as one of the best sources of hope for the economy [2], virtually no air time was devoted to the candidates' policies on these topics. In fact, of the 28 minutes and 12 seconds spent discussing the U.S. Economy [3], the candidates almost exclusively focused on trade and manufacturing sectors. This lack of air time doesn't stem from ignorance; Clinton has demonstrated her commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation through her support of various policy proposals [4] and Trump's record as businessman [5] both seem to lend themselves to a more substantive discussion on these fields. Given the profound impact entrepreneurship and innovation will have on the U.S. economy over the next four years, what do the candidates' performances in the debate say about the role of entrepreneurship and innovation in their vision for the United States' economic future?
Broadly, Clinton and Trump offered drastically different stories about the current state of the United States economy. Clinton optimistically said of the economy, "We have come back from that abyss [of a housing bubble burst and financial crisis], and it has not been easy,” she said. “So we’re now on the precipice of having a potentially much better economy.” Trump, on the other hand, claimed that "we’ve become a third-world country” and are a "serious debtor nation". [6] [7] Part of Trump's reasoning seems to stem from his belief that a way to fix the economy is to cut taxes and regulations on small businesses. He said of this plan, "We have to stop jobs from leaving the United States. The first thing you do is don't let the jobs leave." [8] Clinton characterized Trump's plan as "trumped-up trickle down economics". [9]
