In what was hoped to be a pivotal moment last June, President Joe Biden unveiled a new slogan, “Bidenomics,” in Chicago. The term was meant to champion a New Deal-esque economic agenda, emphasizing investments in manufacturing, infrastructure, and the middle class. However, despite initial enthusiasm, “Bidenomics” has quietly disappeared from the president’s rhetoric in recent months.
Initially coined by conservative critics of Biden’s economic policies, the White House sought to reclaim the term as a badge of honor, akin to Democrats embracing “Obamacare.” The administration aimed to define “Bidenomics” as a strategy focused on growing the economy from the middle and bottom, including initiatives to reduce healthcare costs, raise taxes on billionaires, and invest in key sectors like manufacturing and clean energy.
Yet, despite these efforts, the term failed to resonate with the public. Many Americans associated “Bidenomics” with high inflation rather than with the administration’s intended policy goals. This disconnect became apparent as inflation remained stubbornly high, despite other positive economic markers.
As a result, President Biden and his administration have gradually phased out the use of “Bidenomics” in their public messaging. While the underlying policies remain unchanged, the term itself has been sidelined in favor of more accessible rhetoric focused on job creation, cost reduction, and economic recovery.
Democratic candidates running for Congress have also been hesitant to embrace “Bidenomics” in their campaigns, preferring to focus on tangible victories and policy outcomes rather than abstract slogans. The reluctance of Democrat lawmakers to associate themselves with the president can be attributed to voters’ dissatisfaction with his economic performance. Economic approval ratings among voters have plummeted to record lows during Biden’s presidency, a stark contrast from the high confidence of Trump’s term. No catchy slogan can erase the lived difficulties of American voters as inflation continues to chip away at their paychecks, and President Biden seems to have figured this out the hard way.
Despite the decline of “Bidenomics” as a buzzword, the White House insists that the president’s economic agenda remains central to his administration’s priorities. They argue that while the media may be fixated on semantics, the president continues to champion policies aimed at growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up. However with rising prices, Americans say they aren’t feeling the economic boom that the White House insists is happening.
Looking ahead, the fate of “Bidenomics” serves as a cautionary tale about the challenges of branding complex policy initiatives in the modern American political landscape. While catchy slogans may generate initial buzz, they can take on unintended meanings in the eyes of voters, especially when policy positions don’t align with the felt experience of everyday Americans.