The documentary I.O.U.S.A. (directed by Patrick Creadon) gives a detailed analysis of the four deficits that matter to every American citizen. As explained by David Walker in 2007, such deficits are believed to have grand implications on the future of the United States. Such deficits will dictate a wide range of American issues such as the welfare of its citizens, the nation’s role in the globe, its domestic tranquility and issues of social security (Rosen, 2014). The issues of national debt have continued to play a negative card on the United States over the previous presidencies. This essay will therefore give a detailed analysis of the four deficits and explore the actions undertaken by presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barrack Obama. The description will explore how national debts swung either downwards or upwards during the three consecutive presidencies. The discussion will also offer the most appropriate advice to the current presidential candidates in order to address this issue successfully.
A Detailed Analysis of the Four Deficits
The first national deficit is the federal budget. Statistics indicate that the American government has been spending more than it earns on public services and goods. From 2000, the country fiscal outlook has been negative. Annual deficits and debts have been increasing and accumulating due to tax cuts, ineffective budget measures and costly wars. the weakening economy in 2008-9 was also a major blow to the budget. The second
In the book Hamilton’s Blessing, Gordon uses economic history and theory to explore the start, rise and decline of the United States debt. Gordon opens his book by stating that this country was born in debt, and this debt has become so high that concerned individuals no longer think of it. Throughout the book, he traces the history of the national debt dating back from 1791, when the central bank of the United States was created, up to modern days. The intellectual architect of this creation was Alexander Hamilton, the first Treasury Secretary as well as a central figure who had a deep impact on the economic development of the United States. The title of the book clearly recalls Hamilton's statement that a national debt, "if not excessive,
The recent clash between the president and congress about raising the debt ceiling made the front page on every newspaper throughout the country and generated controversy of unimaginable proportion among the citizens of the United States of America (College for Financial Planning). No macroeconomics issue is more controversial today than the impact of large public debt on the economy and on future generations, but, however, there appears to be a huge disconnect between professional, political leaders, and the ordinary public about the national debt and its impact on the current and future
Many United States' citizens are unaware of the country's current financial state. Many assume that one of the world's wealthiest countries could never be in debt. This is untrue however, and, in fact, the country with the greatest income per capita is in major debt. This study will examine possible solutions to reducing the United States' national budget deficit.
The federal budget deficit is a much discussed and little understood subject in American politics. The current recession has dramatically decreased tax revenues, driving the United States federal government to increase spending in an attempt to stabilize the economy. As a result the current federal deficit is at over $1.3 trillion dollars. This is approximately $47,754 per U.S. citizen or $137,552 per U. S. taxpayer (U.S. Debt Clock: Real Time, 2012).
“Ten Trillion and Counting,” presented by Frontline provides quite a picture of America’s national debt as it surpasses the trillion dollar mark. They ponder the financial well being of current and future retirees while also exposing on how America got into this mess, and what the Obama administration plans to do during his term. America is able to close the gap year to year in its national budget by selling bonds and T-bills. Foreigner countries who continually purchase these obligations are beginning to grow. Much like the Bush administration, the Obama administration has started borrowing big with plans to cut the budget years down the road. It is clear for anyone to see that this borrowing and the future promises of cutting cannot go
The federal budget is known as the notorious economic tank from which money is distributed to various programs. The money used every fiscal year, which begins October 1st and ends September 30th the next year, belongs to the people. The government raises this money through taxes and they spend it on national defense, Medicare, and social security. The federal budget is an exercise in making choices, and those options will certainly affect individuals living in the U.S. These choices cause debt to pile up on the government, who is struggling to make it disappear. The deficit and debt of a government gauges how well it is being run and how well it has been run in the past. According to The Economist the national debt is the total
We hear about the debt almost every day: news talks about it, politicians argue about it, even President Obama gives speeches on it. So what is the significance behind it? In this article I am going to explain briefly what the national debt is, how big it is, and what it has to do with us.
Every moment of a child’s life is critical in establishing their foundation and therefore, their future. If their early years are not enriching or healthy, they will face more difficulties in the future. The documentary The Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of our Nation showcases the importance of a child’s care and provides solutions for how we can help those that struggle with financially providing this care. While their reasoning is sound, the end result is likely to be more detrimental than helpful to the issue they are trying to solve.
Our nation’s fiscal issues are on a common source of frustration among citizens, so well-known that it was almost anticlimactic when Standard & Poor downgraded our credit rating. This downgrading, which occurred in 2011, was a very symbolic blow to what is considered by most as the most powerful economic nation in the world. The credit rating company said that the nation’s debt has made the United States ability to manage its finances “less stable, less effective, and less predictable” (Washington Post). While many consider this downgrading a political critique of the political leaders of America, it is also a simple political conclusion. The AAA rating the
At the beginning of President Obama’s term the federal deficit was nothing new. When the Obama Administration took control of the White House the federal deficit was at $11.657 trillion dollars. This was a dismal point to start at, but it has only gotten worse throughout his term in office with the federal deficit now at over $17 trillion dollars as his second term comes to an end. (About 1) Current debt increases is working on
“Back in 2008, candidate Obama called a $10 trillion national debt ‘unpatriotic’. Yet by his own decisions, President Obama has added more debt than any other president before him, one president, one term, and $5 trillion in new debt” (Paul Ryan, Rep. for Wisconsin, 2011). Everyone agrees that the national debt needs to be fixed. However, people are disagreeing about how to tackle this problem and whether or not we are making any progress. Like most global issues, it is a complicated issue with equally difficult solutions. It is hard to keep people’s interest in a confusing issue, but since we children are the ones that will be stuck with this problem soon, we’d better start taking an interest.
There’s an old documentary about amusement parks called America Screams which aired on PBS in 1978. It was an hour long, but was later whittled down to a half hour when it was released on VHS. This edited version can be seen on YouTube. (The Lagoon sequence starts at the 7:30 mark).
This documentary is very shocking true and a true eye opener to the population there is a
This paper will attempt to answer the question: Is the federal deficit and government deficits in general a good or a bad thing? While it may be easy to lose sight of how the government chooses to handle its money, it is also important for citizens to be conscious of how their money is being spent, and whether or not the current course that the government is plotted on is either sustainable or the best allocation of resources.
A budget deficit is when spending exceeds income, which usually applies to governments. When talking about accumulated federal government deficits, the deficits are referred to as the national debt. Trade deficit is an economic measure of international trade in which a country's imports exceeds its export. Budget deficit and foreign trade deficit are complementary. The United States currently has a great trade deficit which also means that the U.S. has a budget deficit. For the U.S. to be able to borrow money from other countries we must buy more from them than they are buying from us. The value of the U.S. dollar depends on foreign currencies. Foreigners find U.S. goods to be expensive due to the value of the U.S. dollar. Because of this exports