> ## Content Index
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# Taxes, Spending & Debt: Is America Going Broke?
- URL: https://www.cascadepbs.org/show/civics-made-easy/episode/taxes-spending-debt-is-america-going-broke-ln4hwu/
- Published: 2025-11-07T18:30:51.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-07T19:08:39.000Z
- Description: Ben Sheehan looks at how the U.S. government raises, and spends, your hard-earned money.
- Author: Cascade PBS Staff
- Tags: Civics Made Easy, Season 1, Episode 9, #ZZZ_Episode_8ee7a925-8a84-4ea1-99f7-ed306c36b3d6, #episode, #ZZZ_Show_7f4de95f-18d9-43ae-9b1d-8d17732a6075, #v1.16

Why do we pay taxes? Where does all of that money actually go? And is the U.S. government collecting and spending our money wisely? Ben Sheehan takes a cold, hard look at America’s finances. What is the history of taxing and spending? Who gets to decide how much money we owe? Why are some spending items in the budget ‘required’ while others are merely optional? And how bad is U.S. debt really? Be