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Federal Debt: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions--An Update

OCG-99-27 Published: May 28, 1999. Publicly Released: May 28, 1999.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO updated its report on frequently asked questions on the federal debt, focusing on: (1) how debt is defined and measured; (2) who holds federal debt; (3) how much it has grown in recent years; and (4) its significance to the national economy.

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Topics

Auditing and Financial Management
Authority to borrow from publicDebt held by publicDeficit reductionEconomic analysisFederal debtGross national productInterest ratesUS government securitiesSecuritiesBudget deficit