can the federal government go bankrupt?

     Can the federal government go bankrupt? Well, yes and no. The government can always print more money, so it can't really run out of cash. Of course, if the government prints a lot of extra money, the money already in circulation will be devalued--it won't be worth as much, depending on how much money the government prints.  You may have heard that a thing is worth what the seller can get  for it--witness the price of things on an auction site. But the reverse is also true--money is worth what you can get with it. Older people reading this can remember how much the price of things has changed over the years.  When the price of everything changes, it seems more like the value of money has changed. It's called inflation. As soon as enough prices go up, employees want and need higher wages--then employers raise prices to cover the wage increase-- and the "spiral" continues.
     We have not had inflation in the United States the way that some other countries have--if inflation is still the right term for it. A money crisis is probably a better description. No one wanted the money--you couldn't buy anything with it, prices were going up so fast. This happened in Germany after World War I and before World War II ( between the wars ). The people were reduced to a barter system--they traded things with one another, because if they took money they couldn't be sure what it would be worth, even later that same day. Why was the money worthless? Basically, because the people believed that it was--it's impossible to separate faith and economics in some ways--faith meaning belief that the paper with old-fashioned engravings can get you something to eat and keep a roof over your head.  When enough people believe that the money is worthless, it is. When enough people believe that a stock is worthless, it is. When enough people believe that the government is powerless, or basically defunct, it is.