I.O.U.S.A.

I.O.U.S.A. is an analysis of the deteriorating health of the US economy, the high levels of national debt, and the serious risk of banking collapse at a time when most Americans were still unaware of the impending financial crisis. Directed by Patrick Creadon, the film follows former US Comptroller General David Walker and Concord Coalition director Robert Bixby as they outline the deficits plaguing the economy.

The documentary focuses on four types of deficit in the United States and the potential problems they herald. The first is a $53 trillion budget deficit, which will require massive tax rises or spending cuts to service when it eventually falls due. The second is the savings deficit, caused by people living beyond their means and carrying more debt than they can manage. The third is the trade deficit, which arises from the United States importing more goods than it exports. Finally, I.O.U.S.A. examines a leadership deficit, with politicians unable or unwilling to change these spending habits at both personal and governmental levels.