Mark Whitehouse, Columnist

America Is Going Even Deeper Into Debt

How much is too much? Let’s hope we don’t find out.

April 23, 2018 at 9:00 AM UTC

Mark Whitehouse is a member of the editorial board covering global economics and finance. Previously, he reported on economics for the Wall Street Journal and was managing editor of Vedomosti, a Russian-language business daily.

Maybe inflate it away?
Photographer: Andrew Kelly/Getty Images

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How much debt can the U.S. government afford? Nobody knows for sure, but it’s pushing the envelope like never before -- or at least more than it has since World War II.

In its latest Global Fiscal Monitor report, the International Monetary Fund offers an admonishment for the world’s developed nations: Use this period of economic growth to pay down some of your debt. Pretty much all are aiming to make some progress, with one notable exception: America.