As someone who teaches government and Civics, and as a concerned citizen, there isn't a day that goes by in which I have at least one conversation about fixing the budget deficit. One can't open the newspaper, watch the nightly news, or even watch a comedy show without some reference being made to the inability of those in Washington to address the nation's constant budget deficit. A couple of years ago I discovered an invaluable resource for understanding this thorny issue. The New York Times created an interactive budget deficit game which allows the used to decide, by using any combination of tax increases and budget reductions, how to balance the budget. My students love "playing" this game and it is an invaluable educational tool for teaching and learning about the factors driving the budget shortfall.
