The Stimulus
Officially, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Senate version allocated $46 billion for transportation projects, including $27 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair, $11.5 billion for mass transit and rail projects, $4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, $5 billion for public housing improvements, and $6.4 billion for clean and drinking water projects. Though widely credited by economists for saving millions of jobs and preventing further economic deterioration, it has since been roundly criticized and vilified by Republicans.
National Debt
The national debt definitely increased under George W. Bush. When he took office in January 2001, the gross public debt was $5.7 trillion, though it had been declining due to budget surpluses during the Clinton years. During Bush’s presidency, the debt nearly doubled to $10.7 trillion, due in part to tax cuts and increased military spending for two wars in the Middle East.
Separation of Church and State
“What an effort, my dear Sir, of bigotry in Politics & Religion have we gone through! The barbarians really flattered themselves they should be able to bring back the times of Vandalism, when ignorance put everything into the hands of power & priestcraft.”
– Thomas Jefferson to Joseph Priestley, March 21, 1801
Differences Between Republicans and Democrats
The Republican and Democratic parties are VERY different from each other, in their positions on economic policy, environmental policy, foreign policy, civil rights, worker protection, healthcare, public education, research and development, and so on. In fact, they are now so polarized that political paralysis is keeping us from solving some of our most pressing problems.