National debt of the United States

The United States of America is a big country, and like all countries, it needs to spend money to run smoothly. That money comes from the taxes people pay and from the money the government borrows. The national debt is all the money the government has borrowed over the years and hasn't been able to pay back. Think of it like a credit card bill - the more you borrow, the more debt you have. All the money the government owes adds up to the national debt - and right now, it's very, very big!