What if federal spending was directly linked to how well our economy was doing?

[P@triot]

This would be a solution to all of our debt problems. For starters, it would alleviate our representatives of the pressure to keep spending.

Here’s what I mean: Members of Congress want to please their voters so we’ll keep re-electing them. They know we’re worried about the government’s debt and the economic collapse it could cause, but every time they try to cut spending, they get an earful from angry folks back home.

In addition, but it would also be a tremendous motivator for representatives to build and maintain a thriving economy.

Just imagine the impact of a very different dynamic: What if the total amount the federal government could spend in a given year was directly linked to how well our economy was doing?

If the government’s total budget (including all spending and special-interest tax loopholes) was limited to a fixed percentage of the nation’s wealth (defined as gross domestic product, or GDP), this is exactly the connection that would be forged.

Structured with economic fluctuations in mind, this model would allow for greater safety net spending during downturns while requiring cutbacks during economic booms. Meanwhile, the only way the government could spend more money is if the economy grew. And if the economy didn’t, the government would have to cut back on its spending.

That’s the way my family operates, and I bet it’s how yours does too. When our income goes up, our spending can too. And when our income shrinks, we have to make do with less. Millions of Americans live this way every day, but in Washington it’s unheard of.

Essentially it would be results based (like it is for all people in the real world). You don’t get to recklessly spend unless you’re generating the revenue to cover that reckless spending. And representatives wouldn’t have to worry about the wrath of their parasite voters - so they could do the right thing for America.

Let’s Make Washington Work Like We Do