Try your hand at the federal budget!

So you think you could do a better job with the budget situation than our current leaders in Washington? Now's your chance. There's a computer game titled "Budget Hero 2.0" and according to a story in the Washington Post, you can play and see how your policies would work. The game was developed by the Woodrow Wilson Center along with American Public Media. Jane Harman is a former Representative from California who resigned this year to head the Center. She feels that this is a valuable teaching tool for the public. It gives insights into the "difficult choices involved in reducing the deficit and raising the debt limit." The game is an update of the original version from 2008. Among the first players of this new version was Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee and Senator Mark Udall (D) from Colorado. Udall feels the point of this game is to educate and empower. Players can choose policy cards and earn "badges" reflecting their political leanings. Before choosing a policy, the player can check out the pros and cons to see what effect their plan would have over time. If only it were that simple in real life!

Want to try your hand at being a "Budget Hero 2.0"? It's free.