The national debt limit has been raised four times during the last five years. The increased debt ceiling is now at an incredible $9 trillion, with the current national debt just under $8.7 trillion.

Like many cash-strapped Americans who have terrible credit and who max out their credit cards, the federal government has hit its limit for borrowing funds to keep operating. If the limit isn't [continuously] raised, the government will eventually run out of borrowing authority, risking a national economic shutdown in a worst case scenario.

But is this problem being addressed? Well, when President George W. Bush initially took office, the national debt was at $5.6 trillion. Since then, big budget surpluses have collapsed into huge deficits, and the debt has shot up nearly fifty percent. While this may not be entirely due to his actions, there appears to be no end in sight to government spending. While the government encourages Americans to save, they continue to print and spend more and more money.