Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-27gpq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T17:48:29.652Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Why Students Need to Be Informed about Our Looming Fiscal Crisis: The America's Future Initiative

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 April 2010

Andrew L. Yarrow
Affiliation:
Public Agenda and American University
Cecilia M. Orphan
Affiliation:
American Democracy Project, American Association of State Colleges and Universities

Extract

Despite nearly universal concern about America's rapidly rising national debt, the United States government was $12.5 trillion in debt by the spring of 2010. Yet, few people—including college and university students—understand why we are in debt, what the many effects and dangers could be, the difficult steps necessary to reduce our deficits and debt, and the critical importance of bipartisanship and compromise. Given that young people are the nation's future and knowledge is power, what better place to raise awareness and stimulate discussion than on college campuses?

Type
The Teacher Symposium
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Business Week. 2005. “How Bush's Budget Goes Wrong.” Feb. 28.Google Scholar
Congressional Budget Office. 2010. The Budget and Economic Outlook 2010. http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/108xx/doc10871/BudgetOutlook2010_Jan.cfm.Google Scholar
Day, Christine L. 1993. “Public Opinion Toward Costs and Benefits of Social Security.” Research on Aging 15: 3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harris Poll. 2005. “National Parks, Crime-Fighting, Medicare and Social Security Top the List of Government Services that Have the Strongest Support.” Harris Interactive, Inc., December 21. http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=620.Google Scholar
Peter G. Peterson Foundation. 2009. “State of the Union's Finances: A Citizens' Guide.” http://www.pgpf.org/getinvolved/citizens-guide/.Google Scholar
Rasmussen Reports. 2009. “62% Like Tax Cuts Over More Government Spending.” Rasmussen Reports, August 28. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/taxes/august_2009/62_like_tax_cuts_over_more_government_spending.Google Scholar
Riedl, Brian. 2006. “Runaway Spending.” Washington, DC: Heritage Foundation, July 3. http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed070306a.cfm.Google Scholar
Wessel, David. 2009. “Obama Falls Short of Dealing with Deficit.” The Wall Street Journal, April 15. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123921904349802157.html.Google Scholar
Wolf, Richard. 2005. “A ‘Fiscal Hurricane’ on the Horizon.” USA Today, November 14.Google Scholar
Yarrow, Andrew L. 2008. Forgive Us Our Debts: The Intergenerational Dangers of Fiscal Irresponsibility. New Haven: Yale University Press.Google Scholar