Of Deficits And Debt Service

Abstract

In this paper the impact of federal government budgetary policy on deficits, the public debt and net interest payments during the Reagan Administration is examined. Large deficits are shown to inflate the public debt and increase the annual cost of debt servicing. This rapidly rising net interest burden, combined with political aversion to legislated tax increases and spending cuts, minimizes the possibility of significant deficit reduction and increases the probability that some form of balanced budget rule eventually will be adopted.