Technology

Here’s Your Chance to Solve the Budget Crisis…Using a Computer Game

WASHINGTON (AP) — Think you might do better than President Barack Obama and congressional leaders in picking and choosing what government spending to cut – or taxes to raise – to stave off a debt showdown that could wreck the economy? A new computer game gives you, too, the chance to play “Budget Hero.”

“Budget Hero 2.0″ is an update of an original version that came out in 2008. It shows players just how difficult it might be to carry out their grand policy objectives – universal health care, extending the Bush tax cuts or ending foreign aid – and still keep the government from either becoming irrelevant, or going broke.

Heres Your Chance to Solve the Budget Crisis...Using a Computer Game

“Our timing turns out to be perfect,” said former Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., who resigned this year to head the Woodrow Wilson Center, a nonpartisan think tank that developed the game with American Public Media.

Harman said the game is a valuable teaching tool, particularly now as the president and Congress butt heads over the future course of government. Players get insights into the “difficult choices involved in reducing the deficit and raising the debt limit,” she said.

Among the first players to test their skills at the unveiling this week of the new version were Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, and Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo.

Udall said he had two kids in college and “I’ve been a real nag about video games,“ but that ”the point of this game is to educate, to empower us.”

The new version, updated to reflect the increasingly dire financial situation and such new factors as the House Republican budget’s approach to Medicare, allows players to pick from some 100 policy cards as they try to earn “badges” that reflect their political leanings. Fiscal conservatives can try to earn a tea party badge, defense hawks a national security badge or environmentalists a green badge.

The game starts in the year 2021, based on Congressional Budget Office numbers showing what happens to the government’s budget if there is no change in current policy. Players, by using their policy cards, change the course of history.

Before clicking on a policy, the player can check out the pros and cons. Raising the Social Security eligibility age to 70 for those born in 1973 or after would save $152 billion over 10 years but would also mean a 10 percent loss in benefits for those now in their mid- to late 40s.

In a quick demonstration of the game, two college students, one taking typical Republican positions and the other Democratic, showed just how difficult it will be to save the country. The Republican extended the Bush-era tax cuts, cut spending for the arts and humanities and reduced congressional budgets. The Democrat went after a green badge by raising the federal tax on gasoline and ending tax breaks for big oil companies, while also expanding health insurance coverage.

Both plans saw the government go broke – reaching a point where there isn’t enough money to cover mandatory programs such as Social Security, Medicare and interest on the debt – in the 2030s.

“This game will lead you to the conclusion that there has to be structural change” in the big entitlement and revenue programs, said John Tanner, a former Democratic lawmaker from Tennessee.

Linda Fantin of American Public Media said the game has been played 830,000 times since the original version came out in 2008. The sponsors said they hope to get the new version into schools and universities by the fall semester. The game is free and available at http://www.budgethero.org .

Comments (20)

  • catdragonwrangler
    Posted on July 19, 2011 at 3:05pm

    I just played, gave my info, using their options extended budget into 2042. If I could have done ALL that I wanted (there are limitations!) probably could have downright done away with the most of the gov spending, but I could not, the parameters of the game would not let me!

    Report Post »  
  • oldwhiteguy
    Posted on July 15, 2011 at 10:50pm

    You can tell this game is developed by a Democrat, your chances are better playing Russian roulette with Whitey Bolger than using their numbers to balance to the budget. Its the same ole game and they want to set all the rules everybody has to play by.

    Report Post »  
  • 912always
    Posted on July 15, 2011 at 2:47pm

    Just a note, you do not have to give any information and it will still let you play.

    Report Post »  
  • Carol Ingian
    Posted on July 15, 2011 at 1:34pm

    I tried it, its interesting for about 5 minutes. The actual budget cuts you can make are vague and limited. In reality, more specifics need to be adressed than are included in this game.

    Report Post »  
  • Sunny
    Posted on July 14, 2011 at 11:12pm

    American Public Media… hummm…Lets see. An arm of NPR? Why yes, this game is produced by the current status quo in the White House..and notice how it asks for your name and info and promises not to use them?? Well looks to me like they are taking in info to help them solve a problem they have not a clue about how to solve, and are using the American Public to do it…hummm… Remember us? They say we are the Americans who are not paying attention and are a bunch of slope heads…I will not play it because I will not give info to a criminal FED or a bunch of elite narcissists that take pleasure in looking down their noses at the tax paying “intelligent” American Public. I may not be the smartest kid on the block, but….Think Tank my a$$… Sunny

    Report Post » Sunny  
  • truther2
    Posted on July 14, 2011 at 9:05pm

    If only the debt ceiling talks were a game . . . oh, oh; Tis’ a game! Watch the drama and the posturing . . . not much negotiations going on, say the experts. They simply don’t know how.

    Make some Kool Aid, and Stoke the Fire! The Big Dog is Going Down! and some are going to get rich in the process. Is this a Great Country or What?!

    Report Post »  
  • MisterB
    Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:44pm

    Meh, the game is rigged with bad numbers. I toyed around with it for a while, but it basically follows along with the liberal talking points (the Bush Tax Cuts cause lost revenue, etc…)

    Its another “pie plate math” scenario, designed to make any spending cuts seem ineffective and any tax cuts seem drastic.

    Report Post » MisterB  
    • foobear
      Posted on July 14, 2011 at 7:15pm

      Yeah. I’ve played similar games before (the LA Times had one for the CA budget). Even if you make every spending cut possible, you can’t balance the budget in it.

      Report Post » foobear  
    • arielle simmons
      Posted on July 14, 2011 at 9:35pm

      i actually did really well. i ended up cutting the government from 25% to 19%. pushed the budget bust back to 2041. earned a tea party badge, an efficient government badge, and the competition badge. the gdp went from 75% down to 30%. the debt was drastically reduced, but i can’t remember the number it went to. of course i had to freeze all military spending, which i don’t think is very realistic. all in all, i had fun with it.

      Report Post »  
    • arielle simmons
      Posted on July 15, 2011 at 4:25pm

      i also tried this in a lefty way and there was a siren and everything busted. the trick for this game is to reduce the size of government, of course.

      Report Post »  
  • teapartyconservatism
    Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:43pm

    Note to Congress from employer. No deals. Raise the debt ceiling, lose your job!

    They are not talking about real cuts or decreased debt. They are pretending to fight about a minor decrease in continued self destructive massive spending increases over 10 years!

    Rather than dazzling us with brilliance by balancing our national checkbook, they think it’s funny to baffle us with BS and continue running up insurmountable debt. Don’t allow this!

    Congress must end wasteful spending, reduce the debt and balance the budget using real numbers rather than fuzzy math and corrupt accounting tricks that are illegal in the private sector!

    Register to vote! Make calls, write letters, inform them that voters will fire every politician who refuses to manage our finances properly, beginning with abiding by the 10th amendment. When all else fails, just obey the Constitution! It’s our first, best, last, and now our only remaining hope!

    One day soon the credit card bill will arrive in the mail. The red ink must not become blood spilled in battles brought by war with our communist creditors!

    Boehner and Obama are running a well practiced political shell game! You’re being conned! Don’t be a sucker, stop playing their game!

    See the truth from the Cato Institute!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we5FUR1Opc0&feature=player_detailpage

    Yes we can!
    http://www.downsizinggovernment.org

    Report Post » teapartyconservatism  
  • AzSage
    Posted on July 14, 2011 at 1:51pm

    W. Wilson center? non-partisan? me thinks the game is stacked.

    Report Post » AzSage  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on July 14, 2011 at 1:19pm

    According to OBAMANOMICS just increase taxes on the rich, which will increase taxes on everybody, hire thousands of gubbermint workers( Workers?), send money to Barry’s union thug supporters, send money to foreign dictators, expand the gubbermint PEA’S giveaway, plant ACORN”S (Barry Acornseed ) all around the country. Simple

    Report Post » 13th Imam  
  • enemy of the statist
    Posted on July 14, 2011 at 12:32pm

    It’s already a game.

    Report Post » enemy of the statist  
  • Pilager - in - GRIEF
    Posted on July 14, 2011 at 12:03pm

    Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., who resigned this year to head the Woodrow Wilson Center, a nonpartisan think tank ..
    Does anyone believe the W.Wilson,center is NON-Partisan? But thanks Jane for leaving,Won’t miss ya

    Report Post »  
    • Duif100
      Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:58pm

      If it must be pointed out that a think tank in non-partisan then that is solid proof that it is partisan.

      Report Post »  
  • Rocky_biskit
    Posted on July 14, 2011 at 11:45am

    While I did have some philosophical disagreements with some of the assumptions this game seems to have, I did manage to delay the budget bust from 2031 to 2038 and it only took me 20 minutes!!!

    This is a must try!!!

    Report Post »  
  • PASSION
    Posted on July 14, 2011 at 11:03am

    This is a good way to connect the issues with the impact. This is what our elected officals should be showing us although come to think of it I would rather see it in this form. Sick of the shaddy tactics trust upon us.

    Report Post » PASSION  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on July 14, 2011 at 10:56am

    Interesting game indeed, I blew it on trying to make the budget work a few times. Interesting indeed.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  

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