Title: Planet Money: Paying off the National Debt
Course: Indiana Economics Sample Syllabus > Section: Unit 4: Role of Government

In 1835, the United States had a completely unique moment in its history: For exactly one year, the country had no debt. Making America debt-free was something of an obsession for then-President Andrew Jackson, who sold off government-owned land and vetoed federal spending in order to pull the country out of the red. Listen to hear about Jackson’s attitude toward debt, the fiscal policy he imposed, and some of the unforeseen consequences of that policy.