For example, there are a number of fiscal policy time lags that policymakers face when changing the conduct of fiscal policy. The first political time lag is the recognition time lag, which is the time needed to gather information about the current state of the economy. Once the financial problem is identified, political time lag is implemented, or “the time between the recognition of an economic problem and the implementation of policy to resolve it. The time frame for action is quite long for fiscal policy, which requires congressional approval” (Miller, 2012, p. 285). Finally, after the implementation of the fiscal policy, the effective time lapse occurs, which includes the time between the implementation of a policy and its outcome. Fiscal policy is affected by recognition delay, action delay and effect delay because increasing government spending will take time. Because of this, it may take several months for fiscal policy to flow through the economy and impact aggregate demand, but by then it may be too late. Furthermore, time lags represent a disadvantage for fiscal policy because they could make an economic problem worse rather than better. Another negative aspect of fiscal policy is the impact it has on the national debt. According to the article Our Democratic Debt, from 2009 to 2013, total federal government debt approached $18 trillion, with current debt equal to 103 percent of U.S. gross domestic product and a 2013 deficit of 4 percent. % of GDP and 20% of federal spending. (Demuth, p. 28). Furthermore, explains Demuth, “the GDP ratio shows the burden of debt (a larger economy can afford to borrow more, just as a family with a higher income can afford a larger home loan), and the ratio of spending shows how much of our government spending we