Financially, America is an addict which needs to cure its dependency on excessive debt both public and private.
This cure is going to call for austerity. Pro-growth policies will help, but without drastic cuts in government spending - particularly the middle-class entitlements - prosperity will not return.
Paul Ryan's proposals are the first step in the right direction, but they still to some extent kick the problem into the 2030's and 2040's.
Thank you Notary Sojac. Our financial mess is so deep, and spending so ingrained, it will take some very strong politicians to put us on track. The first thing to do is make a balanced budget legal. Then whatever doesn’t fit into the budget gets cut. Foreign aid should come first.