The growing national debt seems to be of no interest in America at the present time. This is no doubt because its burden will be largely shifted forward to future generations who now are either not yet born or are only children. Many say let them worry about themselves However, a vast national debt can also impact today's society and for that reason alone, should be an important issue for voters. This book is a primer on the national debt and the issues surrounding it. CONTENTS: Preface; The Federal Government Debt: Its Size and Economic Significance; The National Debt: Who Bears its Burden?; What if the National Debt Were Eliminated? Some Economic Consequences; The Retirement of the National Debt: Will it Increase the Economic Size of the Federal Government?; The Debt Limit: The Need for Increases; How Budget Surpluses Change Federal Debt; The Debt Limit: The Need to Raise it After Four Years of Surpluses; Paying Down the Federal Debt: A Discussion of Methods; Surpluses and Federal Debt; Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology; Index.