When asked whether or not they believed the government would be able to pull the United States out of debt within this generation, not a single respondent answered positively. “Not unless they get rid of it magically”, said Lydia Schonadel, a junior from La Vale, MD. This attitude reflects a lack of confidence in elected officials to put aside their differences to work for the greater good.
Quintin Wright, a sophomore from Germantown, MD, had a more positive opinion, saying that the government is “taking steps” towards balancing the budget, but he believes that it will take more time to get rid of a deficit of more than $14 trillion.
Nina Forsythe, an adjunct English instructor, had a more concrete reason for her belief that the government would not be able to lift the country out of debt, citing current tensions between the political parties in Washington, D.C. “The Republicans oppose new taxes, and the Democrats oppose cutting social programs”, she said. She added that the average citizen seems to oppose both.
Forsythe also said that the last time the United States ran a surplus was under President Clinton, saying that it seems that there is less will to balance the budget now then there was then, a situation that was made worse by the financial meltdown in 2008.
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