Meredith Bagby: Understanding the U.S. Budget Surplus | TED Talk

In this early TED Talk, from February 25th 2001, author and producer Meredith Bagby breaks down the myth of the U.S. budget surplus with humor, clarity, and data-driven insight. At just 25 years old, Bagby was already known for her book The Annual Report of the United States, which reimagined the government’s finances in an accessible format for citizens.

In this talk, she exposes the creative accounting behind Washington’s surplus claims, explains why Social Security shouldn’t be part of the tally, and challenges a generation to demand transparency about how taxpayer money is spent.