• The 2011 US debt ceiling crisis was one of a series of recurring debates over the increase in the overall size of the US government debt.

  • The crisis was triggered by a massive increase in federal spending following the Great Recession.
  • The federal budget deficit was $458.6 billion in 2008 and widened to $1.4 trillion the following year as the government invested heavily in stimulus.
  • To overcome the crisis, Congress passed a law that increased the national debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion.