ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF GOVERNMENT DEBT AND DEFICITS: DEBT NEUTRALITY OR CROWDING OUT?

The economic implications of federal government debt and deficits have been the source of much debate in the past, and will continue to be for many years to come. Economists are far from agreement with respect to the effects that government borrowing has on the economy. Two major schools of thought have emerged which arrive at seemingly contrary conclusions. One school of thought contends that government bonds are perceived as net wealth by the public, and that government borrowing crowds out private investment, while the other school of thought arrives at precisely the opposite conclusions. An empirical investigation was used to test the validity of the conclusions of these schools of thought.