Over the long term, however, US policymakers must make steady progress in restoring confidence in the nation’s fiscal health by cutting politically sacred programs like social security, Medicare, and defense. Officials will have to put aside short-term motives and party orthodoxy to bolster America’s aging infrastructure, reform its education and immigration systems, and pursue long-term fiscal consolidation.
比如，所有关于美国国民债务的文章都说，投资者会继续借钱给美国。但是，从长期看，美国决策者必须通过削减社会保障、医疗和防务等具有政治不可动摇性的项目开支，从而在重塑人们对其国民财政健康度信心方面取得实实在在的进步。官员必须抛弃短视和政治正确性， 改善美国老化的基础设施，改革其教育和移民制度，追求长期财政整合。