A Little Online Fun with the National Debt Crisis

What's fun about America's debt crisis? Not much, but our friends at American Public Media have managed to make some fun amidst the policy issues and political posturing.

Play Budget Hero, an online game that gives you a shot at balancing the federal budget.

We've all heard someone say "I could do a better job than those (insert term of your choice here)s in Washington. Well, now's your chance to prove it. The game uses real numbers from the Congressional Budget Office and real proposals being debated in Congress. To start, players select their core values, then increase or decrease areas of spending based on those values. Detailed explanations of policy proposals and our government's budgeting system allow you to learn as you play.

Players are encouraged to use their game results to start a conversation with friends, neighbors, legislators and policy makers. They also provide many useful links to sources of further information on the budget debate. 

One warning - players must submit an email address to play the game. American Public Media promises that this info will not be used outside of their newsroom via its Public Insight Network.