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Federal Debt: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

AIMD-97-12 Published: Nov 27, 1996. Publicly Released: Nov 27, 1996.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the federal debt, focusing on: (1) how debt is defined in its various forms; (2) how debt is measured and how much it has grown; (3) who holds federal debt; and (4) why debt is important to the national economy.

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Topics

Auditing and Financial Management
Authority to borrow from publicBalanced budgetsDebt held by publicDeficit financingDeficit reductionEconomic indicatorsFederal debtFiscal policiesInterest ratesMedicaidMedicareUS government securities