Americans Have Their Say in Reducing the National Debt

The politicians don't seem to want to budge on the budget, but our simulator is allowing the public to nudge them along.

The results from the simulator offer insight into what debt reduction choices Americans could support once they get a first hand look at the kinds of changes it will take to control rising debt. Although our results are not scientific, they can be very informative for policymakers as they seek solutions that both parties can agree on. As we note in a summary of the results, almost all of the entries (94 percent) relied on some combination of spending cuts and tax increases, rather than just doing one or the other.

The plan below represents all the simulator options that received majority support from users who voluntarily submitted their results. Implementing all of those options would easily meet the simulator's goal and then some, with debt at 48 percent of GDP.

Budget Simulator Plan As Selected by Average User
Options Savings/Cost (-) Through 2018
Users Selecting % Users Selecting
Eliminate Certain Outdated Programs $60 7180 88%
Cut All Earmarks in Half and Use Half for Deficit Reduction $120 6670 82%
Gradually Reduce Scheduled Benefits Protecting Some Earners $150 6590 81%
Decrease Troop Levels $140 6584 81%
Include State and Local Workers in Social Security $160 6263 77%
Reduce Ship Building $80 6082 75%
Raise Normal Retirement Age to 68 $280 6040 74%
Grow Discretionary Spending With Inflation $0 6024 74%
Enact Medical Malpractice Reform $90 6024 74%
Reduce Tax Gap $30 5984 74%
Cut Various Weapons Systems $50 5947 73%
Repeal LIFO and Eliminate Oil and Gas Preferences $150 5861 72%
Use a More Accurate Measure of Inflation for Social Security $200 5792 71%
Reduce Iraq/Afghanistan Troops to 30,000 by 2013 $1,700 5711 70%
Impose Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee $130 5702 70%
Reduce Farm Subsidies $140 5679 70%
Surtax on Income Above $1 Million $330 5530 68%
Cut Foreign Aid in Half $180 5363 66%
Establish a Public Option $100 5350 66%
Limit Mortgage Interest Deduction and Other Deductions for High-Earners $430 5323 65%
Rescind Unused ARRA Funds $140 5319 65%
Reform Federal Retiree Benefits $70 5304 65%
Freeze Civilian Pay for 2 Years $80 5274 65%
Increase the Medicare Retirement Age to 67 $160 5268 65%
Enact Carbon Tax/Cap-and-Trade $590 5017 62%
Reform Treatment of Employer Sponsored Health Insurance $300 4847 60%
Freeze Average Unemployment Benefits at 2009 Levels $90 4802 59%
Allow All Tax Cut Extensions, Except AMT, to Expire -$840 4772 59%
Raise Social Security Tax Base to Cover 90% of Earnings $740 4464 55%
Repeal Part of ACA $200 4533 54%
Cancel Missile Defense System $90 4402 54%
Increase User Fees Across the Board $60 4382 54%
Increase Years Used to Calculate Social Security Benefits $90 4300 53%
Index Tax Code to a More Accurate Measure of Inflation $190 4289 53%
Increase Gas Tax by 10 Cents Per Gallon $140 4242 52%
Eliminate New Markets Tax Credit $70 4220 52%
Sell Government Assets $80 4187 52%
Increase Medicare Cost-Sharing $160 4163 51%
Eliminate Subsidies for Biofuels $170 4136 51%
       
Median Simulator Plan Debt as % of GDP in 2021 48%

The simulator continues to be a helpful tool in guiding the discussion and identifying solutions. We have recently updated it to account for changes in the projected debt as well as laws passed or options that have entered/exited the discussion. Options in the table above that have been taken out include eliminating earmarks, canceling a missile defense system, and rescinding stimulus funds. New policies on the spending side include reducing nuclear arsenal spending, block granting food stamps, and repealing the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act. New policies for revenue include raising or reducing capital gains rates, enacting the Buffett Rule, and phasing out the mortgage interest deduction.

Be sure to check out the updated simulator here.