Here's Paul Krugman, ensconced as usual at The New York Times, with data on government spending in a recession under Iconic Fiscal Conservative St. Ronald "Gipper" Reagan compared to government spending under Radical Kenyan Socialist Barack Hussein Obama:
This is just current government expenditures divided by the GDP deflator, starting from 1982 (Quarter)IV and 2009 (Quarter)II; no attempt to separate out unemployment benefits, other transfers, etc.. Slightly weaker than the purchases-only comparison, mainly because unemployment benefits fell faster under Reagan, but the story remains the same:
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