How do entitlement programs pose a threat to the ability of the federal government to use fiscal policy to strengthen the national economy?

What will be an ideal response?


As entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare grow at ever-increasing rates, they detract from the available discretionary funds that may be budgeted for other programs, including domestic programs, military programs, and foreign aid programs. Essentially, these are committed funds that are promised to their recipients and cannot be taken away, so they must be planned and accounted for when projecting budgetary expenses. If the desired level of spending exceeds the available funds, a deficit is created that must be covered through government borrowing, thus raising the level of the national debt. As can be seen, entitlement programs pose a great challenge to budgetary planners and policy makers alike.

Political Science

You might also like to view...

Between 1992 and 2012, viewer audiences for network television

A. increased significantly. B. declined marginally. C. remained steady. D. declined significantly. E. increased marginally.

Political Science

In the United States, health care is viewed as something one has to earn, or a ______, rather than as a right to which all citizens are entitled.

Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).

Political Science

Which of the following does not fall under the category of "info-tainment"?

a. Televised talk shows b. The Washington Post c. The Huffington Post d. Blogs

Political Science

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following concepts are key aspects of globalization?

a. trade b. foreign direct investment c. current exchange market d. international capital flows

Political Science