# FILE NAME: 00001980.soc
# TITLE: Is austerity necessary to reduce the UK’s national debt? [ca08c108f31a18773f6a9fe4d44b19b7]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 4
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - In general, austerity is not necessary to reduce the UK’s national debt. The best time to reduce the UK’s national debt is in good times - when the economy is performing well, growth is high and wages are outpacing inflation, the economy can tolerate tax rises that enable us to reduce the national debt. In times of crisis, however, the most obvious solution is to borrow, to reduce the impacts of the economic downturn by artificially inflating demand, keeping supply (and the economy more generally) afloat.  Cutting expenditure and increasing taxes in a time of falling demand and economic output is fundamentally stupid - it is not necessary, rather, it should be avoided.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - The group felt that austerity is necessary in order to reduce the UK’s national debt. Although it can be argued that the best time to reduce debt is when the economy is performing well, the recent global financial crisis (GFC) caused significant damage to the economy and consequently the UK government were forced to borrow significant amounts of money. The group discussed that it was important to reduce the UK’s national debt at the soonest opportunity in order to reduce the possibility of future economic crises. However, it was also noted that although austerity is a useful tool in reducing national debt, it has a tendency to be applied to the detriment of the most vulnerable members of society, which has adverse impacts on those suffering from mental health problems. The group felt that there were alternative solutions to austerity that could help the UK economy recover from the GFC. The group also felt that more could be done to reduce inequality in the UK and reduce the national debt.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - In general, the group was in favour of austerity, but only if the government uses it as a means to control spending and not as a means to reduce the deficit. It was agreed that austerity measures should be used to ensure that the government is spending their money wisely and not on unnecessary things.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - It depends on what measures are introduced.
2: 1,2,3,4
1: 2,1,3,4
1: 2,3,1,4
1: 3,2,1,4