The below graph shows the average growth rate by decade in the US since 1790. The recent decade, 2000-2009, ranks the bottom 2nd. The only worse decade was 1930s. This helps to put a lot of things into perspective.
(Note: the small number on the bar indicates the ranking; graph courtesy of Hoisington Investment Management)
[…] growth of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) going all the way back to 1790 has averaged less than 3% in only three decades: the 1930s (Great Depression), the 2000s, and the […]