Thomas Jefferson stated, "I place economy among the
             first and most important virtues, and public debt as the
             greatest of dangers. To preserve our independence, we must
             not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt" (Grinsburg
             1). This quote illustrates the importance of maintaining a
             balanced budget; therefore, it is necessary to stand firmly
             resolved that the government should balance its budget.
             Three main arguments uphold this premise. They are as
             follows: 1. It is feasible for the government to balance the
             budget, 2. A budget deficit harms the United States through
             creating a trade deficit and increasing the national debt,
             3. A balanced budget would benefit the United States by
             providing extra funds for social programs, tax cuts, and
             Argument 1: It is feasible for the government to balance its
             On of January 7, 1998, the U.S. Congressional Budget
             Office released a budget forecast that "shows the federal
             budget to be in effective balance, with a projected deficit
             of just $5 billion this year-a trivial percentage of an
             estimated $8.5 trillion gross domestic product" (Bartlett
             8). The government was able to balance the budget without
             causing negative complications. This balance came absent of
             any significant tax increases and/or government cuts in
             spending. Because the United State's economy has been
             relatively productive in the past few years, the government
             was able to balance the budget through an increase in tax
             revenues. During this time the government was actually able
             to increase its spending somewhat, while the American people
             were free from additional tax burdens. In fact, according
             to the U.S. Treasury Department, "federal revenues are up
             10.5% over the same period a year earlier, while spending is
             up only 3.8%" (Bartlett 6). Essentially, this shows that it
             is not only possible for the government to balance its
             budg...