A July 21 CNN poll found that only 34 percent of people favor the Republican deficit reduction idea of spending cuts only; 64 percent favor the more balanced Democratic approach of having spending cuts and tax increases.
On July 21, the University of Calgary’s school of public policy published a study on the U.S. debt crisis.
A July 21 YouGov poll found a 14 percent increase in the percentage of people favoring a debt limit increase over the last two weeks.
In a July 21 commentary, Yale economist Robert Shiller argues that the debt to GDP ratio is a poor measure of debt sustainability.
And on July 21, the Urban Institute published the latest edition of it annual report on federal programs affecting children.
A July 19 Washington Post/ABC News poll found that people are evenly split on whether budget cuts will increase or reduce employment and 82 percent believe that failure to raise the debt limit will seriously harm the economy;
A July 19 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that a rising percentage of people believe that failure to raise the debt limit would create serious economic problems and support an increase.
In July 19 commentary, Urban Institute economist Eugene Steuerle suggested several rules for improving the budget process.
On July 19, I published a commentary on the national security implications of a U.S. debt default.
I last posted items on this topic on July 20.
Bruce Bartlett is an American historian and columnist who focuses on the intersection between politics and economics. He blogs daily and writes a weekly column at The Fiscal Times. Bartlett has written for Forbes Magazine and Creators Syndicate, and his work is informed by many years in government, including as a senior policy analyst in the Reagan White House. He is the author of seven books including the New York Times best-seller, Imposter: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy (Doubleday, 2006).
