Last updated: May 17th, 2024
This page has the comparisons between Clinton vs Bush across all the metrics we track. President Clinton and President Bush data are no longer in office. Their data has been set to be as equivalent by days in office to make a fair comparison of their performance. This accounts for presidents that had one term vs two terms, or presidents that had a much shortened term.
With respect to cumulative performance, Bill Clinton has performed better on 5 out of the 5 metrics we track. President Clinton's highest performance difference was on the indicator NASDAQ Index performing 342.38% better than President Bush. President Clinton's lowest performance difference was on GDP performing 19.61% better than President Bush.
We highly recommend you read this article as well prior: What's the best way to interpret the facts and data on Facts First?
How does Clinton compare to Bush in the stock market? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized performance between Clinton and Bush in the stock market. Cumulatively across the S&P 500, Clinton is at 208.54% compared to Bush at -36.68% a difference of 245.22%. On the NASDAQ, Clinton is at 297.58% compared to Bush at -44.80% a difference of 342.38%. Finally, on the DOW Jones, Clinton is at 225.17% compared to Bush at -21.78% a difference of 246.96%.
| Index Cumulative Performance | Bill Clinton | George W Bush | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | 297.58% | -44.80% | Clinton +342.38% |
| DOW | 225.17% | -21.78% | Clinton +246.96% |
| S&P | 208.54% | -36.68% | Clinton +245.22% |
| Index Annualized Performance | Bill Clinton | George W Bush | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | 18.82% | -7.16% | Clinton +25.98% |
| DOW | 15.87% | -3.03% | Clinton +18.90% |
| S&P | 15.11% | -5.55% | Clinton +20.67% |
How does Clinton compare to Bush with respect to GDP Growth? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized GDP growth. Cumulatively Clinton is at 34.23% compared to Bush at 14.62% a difference of 19.61%
| GDP | Bill Clinton | George W Bush | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 34.23% | 14.62% | Clinton +19.61% |
| Annualized | 3.77% | 1.73% | Clinton +2.04% |
How does Clinton compare to Bush in non-farm payroll? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized jobs created. Cumulatively Clinton is at 20.86% compared to Bush at 1.02% a difference of 19.84%
| Indicator Cumulative Gain/Loss | Bill Clinton | George W Bush | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 20.86% | 1.02% | Clinton +19.84% |
| Annualized | 2.41% | 0.13% | Clinton +2.28% |
We capture the data as soon as it’s available to us – stock market data after daily market close, jobs data once a month and GDP data once a quarter. After verifying the raw data, we then calculate updated cumulative and annualized performance data for the current president (the data for previous presidents have been calculated and verified in advance).
Some metrics are measured daily (like stock market performance), monthly (like jobs growth) and quarterly (like GDP growth). We start measurement of performance for a president from the first full time period after their inauguration. For stock market performance, it is the first stock market day in office. For jobs growth, it’s either first full calendar month in office (so if you are inaugurated in the middle of January, the first full month is February). This ensures a consistent starting point across all presidencies.
Also, read these articles in our Learning Center:
- What is the difference between cumulative and annualized performance?
- What’s the best way to interpret the facts and data on Facts First?
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