Suppose you were in a conversation with colleagues who were discussing the economic positions of two U.S. presidential candidates. How would you respond if one of your colleagues said: "Ask any economist and you will find that if a nation's budget deficit rises, the nation always ends up importing more than it exports? The U.S. is no different. If fiscal policies cause the U.S. government budget deficits to rise, you can be sure that U.S. foreign debts will also rise. It's almost a one-to-one relationship."