Would Republicans and Libertarians Have Liked a Gore Presidency Better?

John Hood says:

What if Al Gore had won Florida in 2000, and thus defeated George W. Bush for the presidency? In several respects, say some conservative and libertarians, America and the cause of smaller government would be better off today. They are probably right.

Most obviously, a Democratic president and a Republican Congress would likely have passed more responsible federal budgets. Divided government, both at the federal and state levels, tends to result in fewer successful creations of new government programs. The legislative branch can’t get its program past an executive veto. And the executive branch can’t get its program seriously considered in the first place. While the difference in annual spending growth is fairly small, though real, when looking at the experience of legislatures and governors, the gap grows far wider with regard to the federal government.

Bruce Bartlett, syndicated columnist and author of the new book Impostor: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy, aptly used the recent example of the contrast between the Clinton years and the Bush years to reinforce this point. He observed that from 1993 to 2001, federal spending on defense, entitlements, and domestic discretionary programs all fell as a share of GDP.

It's hard to argue with this point.Unified Republican government hasn't lowered spending.