Joe Biden’s Spending Plans: Building Back Better?

In December 2021, US President Joe Biden faced the decision of whether to push forward with the Build Back Better Act (BBBA), which would increase US government spending by more than $2 trillion. Three previous spending bills had already been passed over the previous 18 months, as the nation’s policymakers tried to mitigate the economic effects of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, and the US Congress had also passed a $1 trillion infrastructure spending initiative in November 2021. Keeping in mind the current pace of economic recovery, inflationary concerns, and the historically high levels of public debt, was the BBBA the right step forward? To receive the Teaching Notes for this case, please contact keoughschool@nd.edu.