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December 2009, David Rosnick and Dean Baker

Many proponents of conservative fiscal policies talk of the budget deficit as being a matter of intergenerational equality. However, this paper shows the younger generations (and those yet to be born) will contribute more to the deficit than older generations.  This analysis uses data from the CBO Long-Term Budget Outlook and the authors’ calculations to show that the driving force behind the deficit is our broken health care system and that this should be the focus of the debate.

Report – PDF pdf_small | Flash flash_small

Press Release

Net Lifetime Federal Benefits by Age in 2008

U.S. Budget Deficit as Percent of GDP under Alternate Health Care Cost Scenarios, 1962-2085