The Pew Fiscal Analysis Initiative provides independent and
unbiased information to policy makers and the public as they
consider the major policy issues facing our nation. A major
component of our work has focused on the federal debt, examining
the possible remedies that could put the country on a
sustainable path. For example, the September 2010 report, No
Silver Bullet: Paths for Reducing the Federal Debt, showed what
it would take to bring the debt-to-GDP ratio to 60 percent using
just spending cuts or tax increases alone, as well as combining
the remedies. The 60 percent debt-to-GDP goal is a level
recommended as sustainable by the International Monetary Fund,
the European Union, and the Peterson-Pew Commission on Budget
Reform. In November 2011, the Pew Budget Challenge was launched.
This interactive web tool lets the user simulate the difficult
choices facing federal policy makers as they try to bring the
debt down to a sustainable level. Using the most up-to-date,
publicly-available budget options and