1. The IMF has concluded that economic growth was necessary to lower debt (most easily attained through stimulus), and spending cuts are detrimental to this goal.
2. States like Kansas and Louisiana have pushed themselves into huge state deficits with the false notion that tax cuts for the rich would recover enough economic growth to fund itself. You'll see Paul Ryan's yearly budget holding this ridiculous asterisk.
But, what about getting people back to work? Did Republican states and their policies lower dependency and push people back into the labor market? Well, I took a look:
The outcome? While prime-age employment ratios were still struggling at this point in time (and will continue to because retirements), Republican states did NOT do better than Democratic ones. The forceful cuts in unemployment benefits, stringent laws for welfare recipients, and more did not create an incentive for people to return to work. This is most likely because the problem wasn't lazy people, but primarily a depressed economy.
Looking to current day, Maine is celebrating a drop in food stamp spending from an extended work requirement. At the same time the number of recipients has dropped, labor force participation is still steadily dropping. So, it's obvious the goal wasn't to get more people working, but lengthen the soup kitchen line. I know this conclusion is clear to some, but I wish Republicans would stop pretending they are getting people back to work.