"National Debt Facts." By James D. Agresti. Just Facts, April 26, 2011. Updated 7/5/11

• Quantifying the National Debt

• Causes

└ Spending and taxes

└ Spending distribution

└ Tax distribution

• Politics

└ Responsibility

└ Current policies

└ Alternative policies

└ Public opinion

└ Congresses

└ Presidents

• Consequences

• Government Accounting

└ Trust funds and the two main categories of debt

└ "Deficits" and "surpluses"

• Ownership

└ Debt owed to non-federal entities

- Debt owed to foreign entities

└ Debt owed to federal entities

• Media

└ Budget cuts

└ Tax cuts

└ "Do nothing" plan

└ Context

[link to justfacts.com]