No, we shouldn't be trying to avoid recessions, that's how we got the Great Depression of the 1930s and the stagflation of the 1970s (different causes and responses, similar govt meddling). Recessions are normal and usually short lived, so the best response IMO is to let bad businesses fail and maybe reduce lending rates to encourage good businesses to fill the expand.

What we need is for government to stay out of it. Don't touch tariffs, and definitely don't try to fix things. The economy is fine, though I think we'll likely see a correction or recession regardless sometime in the next few years (AI bubble, high borrowing rates, climate change, etc). I also believe tariffs will accelerate that.

So we don't necessarily need competent government, we just need to avoid incompetent, reactionary government when the pullback happens.