India, Feb. 21 -- The United States entered 2026 confronting an uncomfortable reality: the world's largest economy is no longer expanding with the confidence its policymakers promised. Official figures show that gross domestic product grew just 2.2 percent in 2025, with the final quarter registering a weak Q4 GDP growth rate of only 1.4 percent annualized, a sharp deceleration that dragged down the year's overall performance.

Behind the headline number lies a complex convergence of political and economic forces. A record federal shutdown cost the economy billions in lost output, while an aggressive tariff regime unsettled trade flows and distorted supply chains. The result was not a dramatic collapse, but something potentially more trou...