National Debt

The United States’ national debt is $18 trillion and increases $16,692 every second (“National”). This debt amounts to $56,704 per citizen (“National”). The government plans to spend $3.9 trillion in the year 2015 (“Federal”). This money comes from taxpayers. When the government does not raise enough revenue to cover their budget, the U.S. Treasury borrows more funds. The government creates many problems for the United States when they spend money that increases the national debt. The most important problem in the United States is the government’s financial spending.
The government’s financial spending is the most important problem in the United States because it is the root of most problems in America. Many problems that America faces stem

from how the government budgets and spends money. Government spending causes problems in the economy, the education system, and for the future of young people.
One of the biggest issues that stems from how the government budgets and spends money is the bad economy.

The economy affects all Americans. Because our government spends money frivolously, our economy is bad. In the last 45 out of 50 years, the government’s expenses have exceeded the revenue (“Federal”). When this happens, the U.S. Treasury borrows more funds and makes the national debt increase. The government does not plan on limiting spending in the future:
It’s clear that big money makes government less efficient. A tight operation on a strict budget watches its funds carefully; a lavishly funded agency goes in search of new missions and stops sweating over the small change, especially since the only way it can keep the money coming is by perpetually claiming to be underfunded. (Hayward)
In this quote, the “lavishly funded agency” is the U.S. government. The government is well funded by taxes, so it is willing to spend more money. Thus, the debt increases. The government uses the fact that the national debt is extremely high to ask for more money and increase taxes. This is a vicious cycle where the government claims to be underfunded and only increases debt and takes money from Americans. Instead of increasing incomes or raising the minimum wage, the government taxes its citizens more. The government will only increase spending and cause more problems for Americans and for the

economy.
Increasing taxes to fund the government’s frivolous spending is an obvious sign that the government does not act in the best interest of Americans.

Congress’s duty is to promote the general welfare of Americans, but instead Congress promotes the general welfare of itself. Every year, billions of dollars are allocated towards projects that primarily benefit Congressmen. In 2010, about $16.5 billion were used in pork barrel spending (Investigating Answers). According to Investigating Answers, “[t]his type of spending is inserted into generally non-related bills as either an award or incentive for political support from constituents and cohorts. The Oxford English Dictionary distinguishes pork barrel spending from normal appropriation spending as ‘projects designed to please...and win votes.’” Politicians waste money on projects in order to gain support and votes. Some examples of these projects include $2.5 million in potato research, $4.8 million in wood utilization research, and $250,000 for a wireless network in a city with a population of 13,888 (Investigating Answers). The $16.5 billion used in pork barrel spending in 2010 could have been used to fund the national debt, increase incomes, improve roadways, or enhance the education system, but instead, the government is spending money on unsubstantial

projects.
Some people might argue that the education system is the biggest problem in the United States instead of government spending. The teachers are underpaid, and the schools are understaffed. Since teachers are not paid enough, some either leave or do not work hard for their students. Also, there are not enough school supplies like desks and books. Further, some public schools do not have enough space for all of their students. Most importantly, the students are not getting the proper education that they need for a chance at being successful. Although these arguments are true, the education system is not the biggest problem. The government’s spending is the issue. If the government spent more money to fund the advancement of public schools and raise incomes for teachers, the education system would improve. In 2010, if Congress would have spent $16.5 billion towards the education system, the education system and the future of young people would have drastically improved.
The government’s spending is the most important problem in the United States. The debt continues to only increase and cause more problems such as no economic growth, higher taxes, and lower incomes. Ultimately, “[g]overnment spending is a crisis, and not just because of taxation or debt” (Hayward). If the government allocated more funds towards the education system, the future of young people would ameliorate. Improving their future would only improve the future of the United States because the young people of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.