Successful Ways That Governments Reduce Federal Debt
Throughout history, which methods of reducing government debt have proven to be the most successful? The answers may not be what you expect. (For related reading, see What The National Debt Means To You.)
TUTORIAL: Bond Basics: Different Types Of Bonds
Many Choices
Fiscal policy is one of those areas where everyone has an opinion but few people can agree on any given idea. While reducing debt and stimulating the economy are the general goals of most governments in developed economies, achieving those goals often involves tactics that appear to be mutually exclusive and sometimes downright contradictory.
Bonds
Take for example the issuance of government debt. Governments often issue bonds to generate revenue. This enables them to avoid raising taxes and provides money to stimulate the economy, theoretically generating additional tax income from prosperous businesses and taxpayers. It seems like a logical approach, but keep in mind that the government must pay interest to its creditors and at some point the borrowed money must be repaid. Historically, issuing debt has provided an economic boost to various countries, but in and of itself has not been particularly effective in directly reducing long-term government debt. (For related reading, see How Bond Pricing Works.)
When the private sector is in pain (high levels of unemployment/excess capacity utilization), governments can also seek to stimulate the economy by buying the very bond they themselves have issued. In the short-term, there are many experts who favor this tactic. Longer term, buying one's own debt has not proved to be any more effective than borrowing one's way to prosperity by issuing bonds.
Interest Rate Manipulation
Maintaining low interest rates is another way governments seek to stimulate the economy, generate tax revenue and, ultimately, reduce the national debt. Low interest rates make it easy for individuals and businesses to borrow money. In turn, the borrowers spend that money on goods and services, which creates jobs and tax revenues. Low interest rates have been employed by the Unites States, the European Union, theUnited Kingdom
Spending Cuts
Canada
In theory, others countries could emulate this example. In reality, the beneficiaries of tax-payer fueled spending often balk at proposed cuts. Politicians are voted out of office when their constituents are angry, so they often lack the political will to make necessary cuts. Decades of political wrangling over the Social Security program in theUnited States
Raise Taxes
Tax increases are a common tactic. Despite the frequency of the practice, most nations face large and growing debts. It is likely that this is largely due to the failure to cut spending. When cash flows increase and spending continues to rise, the increased revenues make little difference to the overall debt level.
Cut Spending and Raise Taxes
Sweden U.S.
Pro Business/Pro Trade
A pro business, pro trade approach is another way nations can reduce their debt burdens. Saudi Arabia reduced its debt burden from 80% of Gross Domestic Product in 2003 to just 10.2% in 2010 by selling oil.
Bailout
Getting rich nations to forgive your debts or hand you cash is a strategy that has been employed more than a few times. Many nations inAfrica have been the beneficiaries of debt forgiveness. Unfortunately, even this strategy has its faults. For example, in the late 1980s Ghana
Default
Defaulting on the debt, which can including going bankrupt and or restructuring payments to creditors is a common and often successful strategy for debt reduction.North Korea Russia Argentina
Controversy with Every Method
To quote Mark Twain, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." Nowhere is this more true that when it comes to government, debt and fiscal policy.
Debt reduction and government policy are incredibly polarizing political topics. Critics of every position take issues with nearly all budget and debt reduction claims, arguing about flawed data, improper methodologies, smoke and mirrors accounting and countless other issues. For example, while some authors claim that U.S. debt has never gone down since 1961, others claim is has fallen multiple times since then. Similar conflicting arguments and data to support them can be found for nearly every aspect of any discuss about federal debt reduction.
While there are a variety of methods countries have employed at various times and with various degrees of success, there is no magic formula that works equally well for every nation in every instances. Just as spending cuts and tax hikes have demonstrated success, default has worked for more than few nations (at least if the yardstick of success is debt reduction rather than good relations with the global banking community). Overall, perhaps the best strategy is the one espoused by Benjamin Franklin when he said "Neither a borrower nor a lender be." (For related reading ,see Breaking Down The U.S. Budget Deficit.)
TUTORIAL: Bond Basics: Different Types Of Bonds
Many Choices
Fiscal policy is one of those areas where everyone has an opinion but few people can agree on any given idea. While reducing debt and stimulating the economy are the general goals of most governments in developed economies, achieving those goals often involves tactics that appear to be mutually exclusive and sometimes downright contradictory.
Bonds
Take for example the issuance of government debt. Governments often issue bonds to generate revenue. This enables them to avoid raising taxes and provides money to stimulate the economy, theoretically generating additional tax income from prosperous businesses and taxpayers. It seems like a logical approach, but keep in mind that the government must pay interest to its creditors and at some point the borrowed money must be repaid. Historically, issuing debt has provided an economic boost to various countries, but in and of itself has not been particularly effective in directly reducing long-term government debt. (For related reading, see How Bond Pricing Works.)
When the private sector is in pain (high levels of unemployment/excess capacity utilization), governments can also seek to stimulate the economy by buying the very bond they themselves have issued. In the short-term, there are many experts who favor this tactic. Longer term, buying one's own debt has not proved to be any more effective than borrowing one's way to prosperity by issuing bonds.
Interest Rate Manipulation
Maintaining low interest rates is another way governments seek to stimulate the economy, generate tax revenue and, ultimately, reduce the national debt. Low interest rates make it easy for individuals and businesses to borrow money. In turn, the borrowers spend that money on goods and services, which creates jobs and tax revenues. Low interest rates have been employed by the Unites States, the European Union, the
Spending Cuts
In theory, others countries could emulate this example. In reality, the beneficiaries of tax-payer fueled spending often balk at proposed cuts. Politicians are voted out of office when their constituents are angry, so they often lack the political will to make necessary cuts. Decades of political wrangling over the Social Security program in the
Tax increases are a common tactic. Despite the frequency of the practice, most nations face large and growing debts. It is likely that this is largely due to the failure to cut spending. When cash flows increase and spending continues to rise, the increased revenues make little difference to the overall debt level.
Cut Spending and Raise Taxes
Pro Business/Pro Trade
A pro business, pro trade approach is another way nations can reduce their debt burdens. Saudi Arabia reduced its debt burden from 80% of Gross Domestic Product in 2003 to just 10.2% in 2010 by selling oil.
Bailout
Getting rich nations to forgive your debts or hand you cash is a strategy that has been employed more than a few times. Many nations in
Default
Defaulting on the debt, which can including going bankrupt and or restructuring payments to creditors is a common and often successful strategy for debt reduction.
Controversy with Every Method
To quote Mark Twain, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." Nowhere is this more true that when it comes to government, debt and fiscal policy.
Debt reduction and government policy are incredibly polarizing political topics. Critics of every position take issues with nearly all budget and debt reduction claims, arguing about flawed data, improper methodologies, smoke and mirrors accounting and countless other issues. For example, while some authors claim that U.S. debt has never gone down since 1961, others claim is has fallen multiple times since then. Similar conflicting arguments and data to support them can be found for nearly every aspect of any discuss about federal debt reduction.
While there are a variety of methods countries have employed at various times and with various degrees of success, there is no magic formula that works equally well for every nation in every instances. Just as spending cuts and tax hikes have demonstrated success, default has worked for more than few nations (at least if the yardstick of success is debt reduction rather than good relations with the global banking community). Overall, perhaps the best strategy is the one espoused by Benjamin Franklin when he said "Neither a borrower nor a lender be." (For related reading ,see Breaking Down The U.S. Budget Deficit.)
by
Lisa Smith
Lisa Smith is a professional freelance writer. Her area of specialization is financial services and investments. She also writes a little bit of fiction. When not at the keyboard, she spends as much time as possible on the beach.
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