@ykhong in europe, we have an amazing case study. During the last recession, while everyone was giving gift to all corporations to get trickle down working (it didn't), belgium was too busy bickering about who should lead the government. This went one for like a year and a half. With only a minimal government whose job was just to pay teacher and doctor and such. Today, they are the one in europe who get the less impacted by the recession as they are the one who did nothing.