A series of tax cuts since President George W. Bush's 2001 legislation have helped push the national debt to US$32 trillion.

Democrats, set to take over Congress with robust majorities, will face at least one expensive obstacle to their policy agenda: a national debt that now equals the size of the U.S. economy.

Clocking in at US$32 trillion, this debt-to-GDP ratio of 100% would likely raise alarms for other countries. But it attracted relatively little attention in an election season dominated by concerns over the economy and the cost of living.

Originally published on theconversation.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.