Fiscal strain is the financial expression of structural imbalance.
It records what policy language conceals.
What It Is
Fiscal strain appears as:
- Persistent deficits
- Rising debt
- Off-budget obligations
- Emergency funding measures
Budgets reflect reality without narrative.
Why It Appears
It emerges when:
- Commitments exceed contribution
- Entitlements expand structurally
- Growth assumptions replace enforcement
- Correction is delayed
Fiscal strain is cumulative.
What It Indicates
Fiscal strain indicates:
- Long-term unsustainability
- Deferred correction
- Future coercion or austerity
- Intergenerational extraction
It is not cyclical.
It is structural.
What Follows
If uncorrected:
- Services degrade
- Trust collapses
- Correction becomes abrupt
- Authority hardens
Closing
Fiscal strain is not an accounting problem.
It is a signal of broken sequence.