Solutions Briefs

Debt Matters: A Road Map for Reducing the Outsized US Debt Burden

February 09, 2023

Fiscal restraint has become even more important. The US and global economies have been battered by two global shocks: the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the US, these two shocks have compromised even further our nation’s deteriorating fiscal health, leaving the nation with even higher debt, high inflation, rising interest rates, and a possible recession. The following Solutions Brief explains why debt matters; how the national debt crisis is intensifying as interest rates rise and recession looms; how long it will take and what it will take, as demonstrated in various scenarios, to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to a responsible level of 70 percent; and what policies are recommended to achieve that goal so we can return to the path of fiscal health and stability.