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Plain-language explainers on federal economic and legislative policy

Federal Spending & Debt

The federal government spends more than it collects, borrows the difference, and pays interest on the accumulated total. This page explains how the budget is written, how the debt accumulates, and what the interest actually costs.

Standing explainer · maintained continuously ·Last updated Sep 1, 2026 · 3 articles in this cluster

The debt and deficits

The budget process