The national debt is defined as the debt held by the government plus the debt held by the public. The national debt has been around for as long as our country has been. The increase of the national debt fluctuates over time, differently throughout each president's term. Although President Bush did not cause the national debt he is strongly influencing the growth and continuance of it meaninglessly.
             Some will blame the increase on the current economic troubles of our nation. It is true that our nations economy is in a bad state right now but that would not cause the debt held by the public to increase any. In our current situation people are scarred to borrow or to spend money, so everyone is keeping what they earn and consuming less. If people are not spending or consuming then they are not borrowing or gaining any debt. That is one of the reasons why the interest rate is so low to try and encourage borrowing and spending, in an effort to stimulate the economy, but people are too scared to borrow or risk any of there own money.
             The terrorist attack on our nation has hurt the economy greatly. But that has little to do with the presidents spending policy. It is partially the reason for the tax breaks the president has planned, he is thinking putting money into our pockets will increase our spending which in turn with chain react us out of the recession we are in. According to Don Evans, one of the Presidents oldest pals and his head salesman on bush's new tax plan, the idea behind the new tax plan proposed in January of 2003 is a return to supply side economics which hasn't been used in the white house since the Reagan era. Reagan had the highest increase in the national debt out of any president, and now bush is returning to his plan for tax cuts. Possibly leading us into another era of huge gains in the national debt when there isn't a positive need for it, there are other ways to bring our count...