Claim: For more than 30 years after World War II, there was a steady reduction in U.S. debt as a percentage of gross domestic product.
Fact-check: Gov. McDonnell says U.S. debt shrank in comparison to GDP for decades after World War II era   
Verdict: true
Organisation: PolitiFact
Author: Sean Gorman
Date published: 2011-05-25T00:00:00