How Do They Do It?

Ever watch a story on the news where they talk about national spending budgets? How do the president’s advisors come up with the numbers that are reported? How is it decided what stays and what goes? What goes into preparing a national budget? I always wonder about this when I hear about the many trillions of dollars that are spent on the military, international affairs, social security, medicare, agriculture, transportation, and so on. How do they do it?

The National Budget Simulation answers these questions by putting the user in the shoes of policy makers. The simulation asks users to adjust spending and tax expenditures in the 2004 budget proposed by the White House in order to achieve either a balanced budget or any other target deficit. This simulation is perfect for people like me, who “learn by doing.” I found that it is a good way to see what actually goes on behind the closed doors of the Washington, D.C. power circles.