National Debt
What is national debt and how does it affect our economy?
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From This Collection
How blue state Republicans could shape Congressional legislation this year
Feb 11, 2025
Republicans have a slim majority in the House of Representatives — and those from liberal states could throw their weight around.
Trump wants lower yields on 10-year bonds. Can he make that happen?
Feb 6, 2025
The new administration hopes that energy dominance and government efficiency can bring down borrowing rates.

Peter G. Peterson Foundation is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness and accelerating action on America’s fiscal challenges to build a brighter economic future for the next generation. Learn more at PGPF.org
A look at the economic impact of the 2017 tax cuts
Feb 5, 2025
The Trump administration said the tax cuts would pay for themselves, but according to a study “that's just not true at all."
Why the U.S. government owes itself money
Feb 4, 2025
The US government is $36 trillion in debt. But who is owed all that money?
How Congress — and not the president — controls how taxpayer money is spent
Feb 4, 2025
According to both the Constitution and the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, the president does not have the authority to spend or hold back funding Congress has appropriated.
Musk-led DOGE has access to the U.S. Treasury's payment system. What will they do with it?
by
Kai Ryssdal
and Maria Hollenhorst
Feb 3, 2025
Wendy Edelberg of Brookings says "political malpractice" might be a bigger risk to economic stability than the government's massive borrowing.
For public good, not for profit.
Unpacking some of Donald Trump's first executive orders
by
David Brancaccio
and Nic Perez
Jan 21, 2025
Trump promised tariffs on Day One. None have been announced so far.
Musk's DOGE aims to cut $2 trillion in spending. That will be tricky.
Jan 13, 2025
The Department of Government Efficiency, aka DOGE, is a task force Trump has appointed, headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. It has some lofty resolutions for its stated goal of cutting wasteful government spending.
New year, new Congress, old problem: the debt ceiling
Jan 2, 2025
The options on the table: cut spending, default on the national debt, raise the ceiling — or eliminate it altogether.