The U.S. national debt is nearly $33 trillion as of early September 2023. Every year since 2001, the U.S. government has spent more money than it takes in, which means it has to borrow money to make up for the difference. The national debt is frequently discussed as a danger to future generations, but some economists say there’s no reason to get the national debt down to zero. One reason for that is without the debt, there would be no federal government securities, such as Treasury bonds, which provide investors a safe place to park their money while accruing interest. Most economist warn, however, that there’s a balancing act when it comes to the national debt. Watch the video above to learn more about why the U.S. can’t get a handle on the national debt and whether it even has to.

Correction on Sept. 12, 2023 at timecode 0:11: The voice over has been updated to reflect the national debt grew $300 billion between July and September 2023.

Chapters:
00:00 — Introduction
01:39 — The role of debt in the economy
03:28 — How debt can harm the economy
06:17 — The global economy

Produced by: Charlotte Morabito
Edited by: Amy Marino
Animation: Jason Reginato
Supervising Producer: Lindsey Jacobson

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Why The U.S. Won’t Pay Down Its Debt