At the turn of this century, the Americannational debt stood at
just under $6 trillion and the deficit at a "mere" $86 billion.
Today, the national debt has topped $14 trillion, and the yearly
deficit for 2011 is projected at a whopping $1.4 trillion According
to the U.S.Treasury Department's Annual Report on the Public Debt,
the debt is estimated to hit $19.6 trillion by 2015. The federal
government has borrowed roughly 40 percent of its total budget for
the last several years, a disturbing trend that could leave the
U.S. in an economic crisis. Astronomical interest payments, a debt
burden to your children and grandchildren, and an increased
reliance on foreign creditors are just a few of the problems.
Although the U.S. has experienced soaring unemployment, stagnant
production, and a crippled housing market, foremost on economists'
minds are rising deficits and ballooning debt. Others feel fears of
the national debt are overblown or pale in comparison to today's
economic problems. This clear, concise book will give you the
need-to-know on the debt. You will learn: How to calculate deficits
and the national debt The history of U.S debt and its recent
unparalleled growth over the years How and why the government
borrows money Methods and tactics for balancing the budget The
economic arguments for, and against, accruing a debt The impact of
the debt on interest rates and inflation The impact of the debt on
the value of the dollar and U.S. economic power This book also
answers key questions: Can the government go bankrupt? Why have
there seemingly been no repurcussions of the large debt to date and
is that likely to change? When the interest on the debt becomes
higher than the revenue of the government, what happens?
And many more practical insights into the government debt
controversy. Business professionals, parents, retirees, and
students are all talking about the debt. This quick read will
provide an understanding of the ramifications of the rising debt
and what the consequences may be. What you'll learn Why the debt
now could be a problem when people have been crying wolf about the
debt forfor the last 40 years What the government can do to reduce
the debt and the implicationsespeciallyfor such programs as
Medicare and Social Security The long-term implications of the debt
Methods and tactics for balancing the budget When accruing a debt
makes sense and when it does not Action steps for monitoring the
debt Who this book is for
Deficit: Why Should I Care? is written for the busy business
professional, concerned parent, retired worker, or student. While
academic and theoretical texts on the subject lack brevity, this
book will help you understand the seriousness of the debt issue in
a clear, concise format. This work has been condensed into seven
need-to-know chapters, each containing the key points necessary for
understanding this complex economic issue affecting the economic
future of all Americans.Whetheryou are a businessperson concerned
about the economy, a parent anxious about the debt burdenof your
children and grandchildren, a retiree fretful about programs like
Social Security, or a student who needs additional information to
supplement a textbook, this is the book for you.The appendix
provides a website selection covering government agencies, economic
sources, and academic sites to assist you in finding the most
up-to-date information on the debt drama. Table of Contents
Introduction Chapter 1: Crash Course on the National Debt Chapter
2: A Huge Credit Card Chapter 3: Deficit and Debt Projections
Chapter 4: Do Deficits and the Debt Matter? Chapter 5: Deficits Do
Not Matter Chapter 6: Deficits Do Matter Chapter 7: Get a Handle on
the National Debt Appendix A: Voice Your Opinion on the Debt
Appendix B: Web Sites for Debt and Deficit Information Bibliography
Index
General
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