Business is a cyclical phenomenon. The ups and downs of the business cycle serve to raise men and women up to the peak of prosperity, but also to destroy wealth in shocking fashion. Federal policies play a major part in the duration and regularity of these cycles. As you can see on the chart below of America’s Business Booms and Depressions from 1775 to 1944, many of the business booms and busts have labels attached to them. Some were created by wars, embargoes, trust building and busting, monetary policy, etc. It’s interesting to notice that the longest period of prosperity (green blocks) was when President Calvin Coolidge was in office fighting for the “forgotten man” and smaller government.
