, Columnist
Trump or Biden May Not Face Such a Terrible Economy in 2021
Data suggest it will look a lot more like 2017 than like 2009.
Economic activity is still happening, even if it feels weird.
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As President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden prepare to debate on Tuesday, one huge question is where the economy will stand when one of them begins the next presidential term in January.
Things are evolving rapidly as we adjust to this new normal, but we've now had five months of economic data since March; and as my Bloomberg Opinion colleague Tim Duy notes, if nothing else, we know this crisis isn't like 2007 through 2009. While many measures of economic activity remain distressed, measures of consumer and business sentiment suggest economic conditions similar to those in 2016.