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National debt: Acceptable imbalance

As individuals, we know it’s not great to have too much debt. But at the macro level, that narrative falls apart. In fact, most governments need some debt to take care of their people, especially in the wake of a crisis like a pandemic. How a country invests in itself—and how its leaders talk about that investment—says a lot about how it sees its future.

As individuals, we know it’s not great to have too much debt. But at the macro level, that narrative falls apart. In fact, most governments need some debt to take care of their people, especially in the wake of a crisis like a pandemic. How a country invests in itself—and how its leaders talk about that investment—says a lot about how it sees its future.

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Featuring

Kira Bindrim is the host of the Quartz Obsession podcast. She is an executive editor who works on global newsroom coverage and email products. She is obsessed with reading and reality TV.

Nate DiCamillo is an economics reporter at Quartz. He is obsessed with swimming, financial crises, and narratives that drive economic events.

Pew 2020 survey—47% of surveyed Americans say the federal budget deficit is “a very big problem,” down from 55% in 2018

2021 interview with Joe Manchin in which he mentions that every morning an aide texts him how much the national debt has grown since the day before

This episode uses the following sounds from freesound.org and Incompetech.com:

Limit 70 by Kevin McLeod

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