Economic Overview

   Two of Clout: The Game's most important economic factors are the Public Treasury—usually referred to Public Debt, though it can also be the Public Surplus—and the Gross Domestic Product. Let us start by taking a look at the Public Debt.

   So far, we generally have a debt between 10 and 30 trillion dollars. This is within a reasonable ballpark range when compared to the current United States national debt, which is around $17.8 trillion. On the other hand, Clout's debt is much more volatile, fluctuating up and down in tens of trillions of dollars. Much of this is caused by bills that have been heavily multiplied by conference committee. Some upticks come from Pay Down National Debt bills, however these bills do not address the underlying cause of debt. It is also worth noting that just prior to when these graphs begin, debt had spiked into the $150T-$200T range.
   While the underlying cause of debt remains a matter of ongoing debate, Gross Domestic Product and GDP Growth are generally regarded as fundamental indicators of the economic health of a nation, both in-game and real-world. Let us take a look at the numbers.
 

   While GDP Growth has has been volatile from day to day, on average the GDP itself has continued to increase steadily over the long term so far. As of this writing, the United States Gross Domestic Product is 16.8 trillion dollars. The Clout States' GDP is over $20 trillion, or about 25% higher than the real-world US GDP.
   However, this does not necessarily mean that our Clout States economy is 25% healthier. Our Clout population is roughly double the real-world US, resulting in a lower GDP per capita. While GDP per capita is a critical economic indicator in real life, it is not widely regarded as important in Clout because it is not displayed anywhere within the game. Nevertheless, the Not-so-United States' GDP per capita of around $32K-33K pales in comparison with the United States' current GDP per capita around $53K.

   The Clout Report will continue to monitor these economic factors and report our findings. As always, these charts and graphs will be updated daily, so why not bookmark The Clout Report right now? Happy legislating!