Question

Debt has a certain self-reinforcing quality to it. There is one category of government spending that automatically increases along with the federal debt. What is it?

Short answer

The category of government spending that automatically increases along with the federal debt is the interest payments on the federal debt. As the debt grows, interest payments need to be made on a larger sum of money, which in turn increases the interest expense for the government, leading to automatic increases in government spending in this specific category.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the concept of federal debt

The federal debt is the total amount of money that a government has borrowed to finance its activities and programs. It is often referred to as public debt or national debt, and it includes all the bonds, bills, and other securities that the government has issued. The government pays interest on this debt, which is an expense to the budget.

Identify the link between federal debt and government spending

As the federal debt increases, the government needs to allocate more money to pay interest on the debt. This means higher interest payments, which in turn make up a larger portion of the government's total spending.

Determine the category of government spending that increases with the federal debt

Interest payments on the federal debt represent the category of government spending that increases with the federal debt. As the debt grows, interest payments need to be made on a larger sum of money, which in turn increases the interest expense for the government. This growing interest expense leads to automatic increases in government spending in that particular category.

Conclusion

The category of government spending that automatically increases along with the federal debt is the interest payments on the federal debt. This is because as the debt increases, the government needs to allocate more funds to pay interest on the debt, leading to an increase in spending in this specific category.