The theory was that by giving consumers tax rebates, aggregate demand could be increased. This in turn would, along with the corporate tax cuts, give firms more confidence to increase their own spending. When the bill was being drafted, the economy was not yet in a state of total devastation, but there were signs of a pending recession. By drafting a bill that would increase aggregate demand, it was hoped by that business cycle could be forestalled or reversed. The government did not view recession as inevitable at the time. Rather, they felt that with sufficient increase in aggregate demand, the recession could be averted. As we have seen, the recessionary conditions at the outset of 2008 were merely the tip of the iceberg and the stimulus package was therefore woefully inadequate.

The hope, though, was that the multiplier effect would take hold. If consumers spent more, companies would be...
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