A political candidate has written an op-ed piece in which they claim that the U.S. government debt has continually grown and is out of control. The candidate includes the following graph as evidence.

The candidate further argues that there is no way the government can sustain this level of debt by comparing it to a person who is constantly spending more than they make and racking up large amounts of consumer debt.

a. This graph shows gross government debt of $29 trillion in 2021, but you’ve read that net government debt is $22.5 trillion. What explains the difference?

b. Do you think the candidate’s presentation of the data speaks to whether the debt is sustainable or not? How might you give greater context?

c. Is the candidate’s argument about personal debt being similar to government debt a valid argument? Why or why not?

Transcribed Image Text:

Gross federal government debt Trillions of dollars $25T 20T 15T 10T 5T 0 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 $28.7T