How did we get here? Explore the major events and presidencies that shaped the national debt.
From the Revolutionary War to the Great Depression. Learn how the U.S. was born in debt.
Read Article → 1933 - 1945The New Deal and the massive cost of WWII changed the scale of American debt forever.
Read Article → 1945 - 1953Post-war stabilization, the Marshall Plan, and the fiscal impact of the Korean War.
Read Article → 1953 - 1961Balanced budgets meet the construction of the massive Interstate Highway System.
Read Article → 1961 - 1963The financial demands of the Space Race and the expansion of the "New Frontier."
Read Article → 1963 - 1969The "Guns and Butter" strategy: Funding the Vietnam War and the Great Society.
Read Article → 1969 - 1974The end of the Gold Standard and the economic impact of global stagflation.
Read Article → 1981 - 1989Supply-side economics, massive tax cuts, and Cold War defense spending.
Read Article → 1989 - 1993Navigating a recession and the fiscal consequences of the first Gulf War.
Read Article → 1993 - 2001The era of the modern budget surplus and the impact of the dot-com boom.
Read Article → 2001 - 2009The War on Terror and the fallout from the 2008 global financial crisis.
Read Article → 2009 - 2017Economic stimulus efforts and the implementation of major healthcare reform.
Read Article → 2017 - 2021Historic tax cuts followed by unprecedented pandemic-era emergency spending.
Read Article → 2021 - PresentInfrastructure investment and the impact of rising interest rates in 2025.
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