While the economic future of the United States seems grim, the encouraging news is that large swaths of Americans are starting to understand the reality of the situation and what must be done to place our economic house in order. This is my conclusion after viewing a new video by Bankrupting America.
The two-minute video gathers public opinion from a number of recent sources such as Gallup and CNN. And while the news is gloomy, the bright spot is that according to these public opinion polls, I believe Americans are starting to understand.
For example, 78 percent of Americans think the country is on the wrong track. That’s bad news. The good news is that 73 percent believe spending is to blame for the federal deficit, while only 22 percent believe insufficient tax revenue is to blame.
In another measure of public opinion, only 13 percent believe the debt ceiling should be raised without conditions.
This is progress. It’s the good news we can pluck from all the bad news, because we need people to understand the gravity of the situation before we can expect them to take appropriate action.
The video is available by clicking on Public Pulse: What Do Americans Really Think about the Debt Ceiling and Government Spending?
Separately, Bankrupting America has completed all three volumes of its Budget Briefing Book. Theses books — pamphlets, really — are short and provide much information about the federal budget and government finances.