---
title: "Eroding Our Foundation"
summary: |-
  Reducing the budget deficit is important, but it should not and does not have to come at the expense of growth-inducing investments.
date: "2012-10-16"
issues: ["Science and R&D"]
authors: ["Robert D. Atkinson"]
content_type: "Op-Eds & Contributed Articles"
canonical_url: "https://itif.org/publications/2012/10/16/eroding-our-foundation/"
---

# Eroding Our Foundation

Reducing the budget deficit is important, but it should not and does not have to come at the expense of growth-inducing investments in areas like federal support for R&D. In fact, undermining growth capability is disruptive of a deficit control policy. Cutting federal support for R&D, a key "fuel" for the U.S. economic growth engine, would not only lead to a relatively smaller U.S. economy and higher unemployment, it would reduce U.S. global competitiveness precisely at a time when the U.S. economy is struggling to stay in the race for global innovation advantage.

---
*Source: Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF)*
*URL: https://itif.org/publications/2012/10/16/eroding-our-foundation/*