Balance the Budget: The Simulation.

Published on September 30th, 2005

Meet Earl, Steve, and Todd, they are hard at work. Working to balance the national budget! But no, they aren't working for the president of the United States, they are trying their hand at a simulation. Good luck, you three!
National Budget Simulation

A fun little simulator allowing you to balance the national budget.

About the National Budget Simulation

The National Budget Simulation was first created in 1995 as the Gingrich-led Congress was facing off against President Clinton over how to balance the budget. Created by Anders Schneiderman and Nathan Newman, then co-directors of UC-Berkeley’s Center for Community Economic Research, the NBS was designed to challenge the simple assumptions many people had about the national budget.

This new updated version is sponsored by Agenda for Justice, a policy center that supports progressive state and local policy campaigns around the country.

6 users responded in " Balance the Budget: The Simulation. "

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# 1 GregAllen said, on October 1st, 2005 at 1:10 am

Wow that was an interesting site! Highly recommended. I just went off my own personal priorities and easily cut the deficit by 300 billion.

I am a pacifist so I cut military spending by 30%
…and the Iraq war by 40%.

(And, of course, I totally cut out the Bush tax breaks. That’s a no brainer.)

I raised EVERYTHING ELSE, some a lot, some a little.

It just illustrates that this miltary industrial complex is just killing us.

I am absolutely convinced that we could fully protect our country with a 30% cut in the military. Even then, we’d be outspending practically all other countries combined.

# 2 Phil said, on October 1st, 2005 at 11:13 am

That is a great link John.

While not a pacifist I am still able to solve all our fiscal problems. I eliminated social security, medicare and a big hunk of military procurement spending. I was even able to boost border security and return more money to the tax payers.

# 3 AB CD said, on October 1st, 2005 at 4:45 pm

They count the tax code as ’spending’. Very static analysis that flies against reality.

# 4 GregAllen said, on October 2nd, 2005 at 12:15 am

>> While not a pacifist I am still able to solve all our fiscal problems. I eliminated social security, medicare…

You solved our financial problems but you just betrayed the American people and turned us into just another third world country!

# 5 James Hill said, on October 2nd, 2005 at 9:09 am

Anyone saying that cutting the tax breaks is a ‘no braner’ invalidates their entire argument.

Tax breaks lead to more money going into the economy. More money going into the economy causes more money to move from buyers to sellers. More money moving from around causes more tax revenue to be generated.

This is exactly what has happened: More revenue is coming in now than before the tax cuts. The left won’t tell you this because it goes against all of their economic logic (such that it is).

I assume that the left at least understands what is going on, accepts it as fact, and refuses to admit it (because it means they’re wrong… again). To do otherwise would be to ignore reality.

Now, for those of you actually worried about the national budget, remember this: Our country has had shortfalls multiple times and has always recovered. Our wars will eventually end (in victory, not surrender), and tax revenue will continue to increase. Looking at this site’s numbers, over time, that will easily balance the budget.

Now lets hope that the next excess in revenue is used to pay down our financed debt, not wasted on pointless social programs or returned to the tax payers. This is what happened last time, and was caused by both parties.

# 6 AB CD said, on October 3rd, 2005 at 2:12 pm

It seems every time in US history that the debt was paid down, we ended up in a recession.

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