Yes, I remember the reports on that podcast. (There was no way that I could listen to it.) Apparently, common sense has left the building. When I took ancient history, another student asked how or why did the Roman Empire fall. (Honestly, the answer has multiple factors.) However, we have witnessed the reason why the U.S. will fail. The republicans' planned results of demolishing the education system has seen fruition and the plot of "Idiocracy" has come to pass.

"The government that you elect is the government you deserve."

Thomas Jefferson

If everyone knew U.S. Government & Economics, they would also know that there isn't too much they president can do to improve the economy. He can make it worse quickly with bad policies, but not much on improving it. He cannot control the Fed or prices. The last president who tried to control prices was Nixon with a prices freeze, and that started the dominoes which made everything worse all the way through to the end of Carter's term. The presidential policies that can effect the economy for good, most of the time, take a year or more to see results. Basically, that's why the republicans get credit for improving the economy, from the democratic president before him. This is the first time that there's been a 'soft landing' from inflation, if memory serves.