The reason the budget is so interesting — and important — is because it requires the government to make real choices about our priorities and values as a country.
Decisions about SNAP (food stamps), TANF (welfare), and other assistance programs are often framed in terms of eligibility and cost per capita. These decisions get to more basic questions, though: Is it ever okay for someone in the U.S. to go hungry? Can families make the best decisions about their spending, or should the government ensure that money is being spent wisely? Should we err on the side of blocking even the smallest amount of fraud, or of ensuring that everyone who needs assistance gets it?
The same is true Pentagon, State Department, CIA, USAID, and nuclear weapons funding. What is the most effective way to protect the U.S. from danger? Are there more effective ways to prevent and resolve conflict, or is war in fact the answer? Do the risks of nuclear weapons outweigh their potential as a deterrent? What is the United States’ role in the rest of the world?
The answers to each of these questions are translated into policy and dollars. While reasonable people may differ on the budget, our positions on the budget are deeply grounded in our values — how we believe the government can do the most good and the least harm.
