The authors discuss the U.S. economy as of October, 2012, arguing that economic policy uncertainty and household and business spending reticence have inhibited economic growth since June 2009. Topics include tax policy, economic forecasting, and an economic policy index that quantifies economic policy newspaper coverage. U.S. initiatives including the Economic Stimulus Act, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act are mentioned. Graphs are included.
