Federal Debt Will Reach 100% to 200% of GDP Unless Checked

The federal government's debt levels could exceed 100 percent of gross domestic product as early as 2020, the Government Accounting Office now estimates.

"It is clear that over the long term historical levels of spending and revenue cannot be maintained going forward," the GAO warns.

The debt problem predates the economic downturn and is driven on the spending side largely by rising health care costs and an aging population, says the Government Accounting Office.

read the full analysis here