Where Does the Money Go?: Your Guided Tour to the Federal Budget Crisis

“A book that manages to be entertaining and irreverent while serving as an informative primer on a subject that is crucial to the future of all Americans.”

Before you vote in a national election, you should ask yourself: Where Does the Money Go? The acclaimed and essential work by Scott Biddle and Jean Johnson has been updated to reflect the recent financial crisis and the sweeping legislation passed by the Obama administration in its first years. Nonpartisan and well-balanced, Where Does the Money Go? is a candid, eye-opening, and delightfully irreverent guide to the ongoing federal budget crisis that breaks-down into plain English exactly what the Fat Cats in Washington, D.C. are arguing about.

This essential, nonpartisan guide to the US economy explains the key realities every voter should understand:

• The $9 Trillion Debt: A plain-English tour of how the U.S. racked up its debt and what it means for your mortgage, your investments, and your children’s future.
• Social Security & Medicare Explained: Learn why these popular programs are on an unsustainable path and what it will take to secure them for the baby boomers and beyond.
• A Tour of US Taxes: Understand where the money comes from—from income taxes to payroll deductions—and what the coming debate over tax cuts means for you.
• A Voter Protection Kit: A nonpartisan breakdown of what liberals and conservatives are actually arguing about, so you can cut through the political spin and vote smart.

From the editors of the award-winning nonpartisan Web site Public Agenda Online comes this irreverent and candid guide to the federal budget crisis that breaks down into plain English exactly what the fat cats in Washington are arguing about

Federal debt will affect your savings, your retirement, your mortgage, your health care, and your children. How well do you understand the government decisions that will end up coming out of your pocket?

Here is essential information that every American citizen needs—and has the right—to know. This guide to deciphering the jargon of the country's budget problem covers everything from the country's $9 trillion and growing debt to the fact that, for thirty-one out of the last thirty-five years, the country has spent more on government programs and services than it has collected in taxes. It also explores why elected leaders on every side of the fence have so far failed to effectively address this issue and explains what you can do to protect your future.

“If you are going to buy just one book in this presidential election year...consider Where Does the Money Go?…. A book that manages to be entertaining and irreverent while serving as an informative primer on a subject that is crucial to the future of all Americans.” - New York Times