It marked the third straight year of surpluses, something that hasn't happened since the late 1940s. The official announcement of the 2000 surplus comes only two weeks before voters elect a new president. The 1998 surplus marked the first time the government had managed to finish in the black since 1969. The prosperity also is helping to generate more tax revenues.
Economists say one of the cornerstones to the prosperity has been low unemployment.
The surging economy pulled the nation's unemployment rate back down to a three-decade low of 3.9 percent in September from an already low 4.1 percent in August.