What is our biggest economic problem and which one can we address the fastest?

[PeterMP]

Just me being curious.

What do you think our biggest economic problem is?

And what problem do you think we can address most easily

Vote for 2. One for the biggest and one for the most easy to address

Obviously, many of them are inter-related so I know the choices aren't easy.

[twa]

unemployment
you can address it by the regulatory system

we have created a atmosphere that does not encourage hiring and blame the businesses

[PeterMP]

unemployment
you can address it by the regulatory system

we have created a atmosphere that does not encourage hiring and blame the businesses

What about demand?

Are people going to hire if there is no demand?

Can we out "decrease regulation" China, especially when you take into account the difference in currencies?

[twa]

What about demand?

Are people going to hire if there is no demand?

Can we out "decrease regulation" China, especially when you take into account the difference in currencies?

Demand already exists as evidenced by our trade deficit, the sourcing needs addressed

you can start with energy(which is one of the quickest to crank up)

manufacturing and exporting seem to be doing well here...see why

if you strengthen the core of energy,manufacturing,education and tech the peripherals will see increased demand.
we instead institute barriers that encourage filling existing demand from other sources

the entrepreneurs are looking elsewhere for good reason, even most small business owners here say they wouldn't start a business under present conditions

add
we do stupid crap like push the Volt against the grain....guess who was winning the auto sales?

there is a prime opportunity for NG conversion on trucking,heavy equipt and mass transit...tax credits there instead of for Chinese windmills

the notion of many in govt that paying people not to work is stimulus just illustrates the loss of fundamentals

the future is what you make of it...the abyss awaits

[Koolblue13]

Our largest economic problem is how much we are spending on war and how much will be spent down the road because of it.

Ending our wars is easy.

[SWFLSkins]

What about demand?

Are people going to hire if there is no demand?

Can we out "decrease regulation" China, especially when you take into account the difference in currencies?

bingo was his name-0. The devaluing of the dollar caused goods made here to have an unfair price variance vs. Chinese goods. I see a lot of causes listed but lack of American made competitively priced goods cause many of the reasons listed. Gas and food would not seem so high if the median wage was higher because the job paid more. All the jobs being created in the service sector are sub $10.00 an hour. You do the math. You can't own a home, own a car, have a cell phone, get medical and car insurance, eat, clothe.....on that wage. We need high paying jobs, manufacturing jobs for the middle class of non-highly educated hard working Americans. That would boost everyone's interest.

[twa]

We need high paying jobs, manufacturing jobs for the middle class of non-highly educated hard working Americans. That would boost everyone's interest.

so you are just going to create them how?

[SWFLSkins]

so you are just going to create them how?

By encouraging Companies to manufacture here, not having tax breaks for those that don't and even creating penalties or higher taxes for companies that move or manufacture overseas. Balance the playing field. American made should be a sense of pride. Afterall most the Chinese goods, durable goods, lol are cheaper but skip on quality. There are many large ticket items assembled here with sub-standard Chinese parts to lessen the overall cost and boost profits at the coast of the American workforce. The only problem and what is now occurring is that they are eating there own consumer bases ability to purchase their own goods.

[deejaydana]

The regulatory arm is a huge burden for our economy. When the Economist does a cover story saying that the U.S. has become uncompetitive because we're horribly over-regulated, then you know we're in troubled terrain (it's a UK publication for those who didn't know that). Debt is the main driver of our pain but over-spending is the actual root cause. D.C. just simply spends to damn much money.

[skinsfan_1215]

Tax code is biggest and easiest to fix. The steady upward flow of income over the past 30 years has transformed our economy from consumer-based to investor-based, and has resulted in a series of bubbles and bursts instead of sustainability, which I expect will continue until something radical in done to put money back in the hands of people that spend it.

[Corcaigh]

Don't squander many billions on overseas military adventures. Invest at home and pay off the deficit before it creates major problems.:

Given the economic woes, who thinks this chart is a positive and that we need to increase defense spending?

[twa]

while I think defence needs both cuts and reform, the chart is foolish

care to put one up on comparing overall spending vs other nations?...or perhaps foreign aid?

the military is no longer simply a military

[Corcaigh]

But so much larger than the total of all those other major economies?

[artmonkforHOF]

Not an American but I picked gov debt as biggest problem, tax code easiest to fix. Sensible tax rates should not be a hard motion to pass, all other issues would run into problems on the floor if not sooner.

[twa]

But so much larger than the total of all those other major economies?

depends on how you measure it
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mi...percent-of-gdp

rank #28? with two wars going?