Deficit Reduction and Fiscal Policy

The federal budget has been in deficit since 2002, but became significantly larger in 2009. That year, the deficit topped $1 trillion for the first time ever. Relative to the overall size of the economy, budget deficits from 2009 to 2011 have been significantly larger than in any other year since World War II. This book examines and discusses the size of the projected budget deficit; how much the deficit would need to be reduced to return to long-term sustainability; President Obama's fiscal commission and other initiatives; and business investment and employment tax incentives to stimulate the economy.