US Debt to Rise Under Leadership of Top Republican Presidential Candidates

Only Congressman Ron Paul’s proposals show a debt decline under the intermediate-debt scenario. Under a low-debt scenario, all but Newt Gingrich offer debt reductions. Under the high-debt scenario, none of the four manages to reduce the national debt. Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are the two other candidates whose policy proposals were scored.

Gingrich is the biggest spender, with a debt increase of $7 trillion under the intermediate-debt scenario. He is followed by Santorum, who’s proposals would add $4.5 trillion to the national debt. Romney’s policies would add a relatively paltry $250 billion, and Paul’s would cut $2.2 trillion.

Because most of the policy proposals do not include specific cuts to specific programs, the high-debt scenario is perhaps the most revealing. Under that scenario, Gingrich’s policies would add $9.65 trillion to the national debt, Santorum’s would add $5.3 trillion, Romney’s would add $2.15 trillion, and Paul’s would add $1.85 trillion.

The report is available here.