Budget-Balancing Video Game Lets User Play Governor

A new video game created by Colorado State University’s Bighorn Leadership Development Program teaches users about the challenges of balancing the state budget, a process so arduous that it may even cultivate a little empathy for the governor.

The game is a bit dry — more like an introductory civics class than Grand Theft Auto. But it allows users to monkey around with the budget to try to solve an estimated deficit of about $800-million. With all information made public, the governor’s office says it will look at desires of its constituents.

Worried about the fact that most Coloradans are uninsured? Increase health-care spending by $1.23-billion and cover them. Want to fully fund community colleges? Add another $100-million to the higher-education pie wedge.

But users beware, each maneuver comes with various caveats. Because of numerous spending limits and constitutional amendments, it is difficult to make any changes without being flagged with a “constitutional warning.” For instance, if you want to save almost $160-million by reducing elementary and secondary education, you’ll learn about Amendment 23 to the Colorado Constitution, which guarantees an increase in that spending unless given voter permission. Likewise, any proposed tax hike requires voter approval after the advent of the Taxpayers Bill of Rights in 1992.

Brenda Morrison, director of the Bighorn Leadership Development Program, worked to create the simulation to encourage engagement among her program’s leadership fellows.

In the current recession, the issue of government spending moves to the forefront of people’s minds, said Ms. Morrison.The hope is that “by putting themselves in the governor’s shoes,” people will better understand how the system works.

From the point of view of the governor’s office, it’s nice just to have people realize how tough his job is. “This is a great opportunity for people to increase their understanding of what it takes to reduce spending in the face of dramatically declining revenues,” said Evan Dreyer, spokesman for the state’s governor, Bill Ritter. “This is a global recession that is having an impact of families, on businesses, and on nonprofits, and this gives people the opportunity to see just how difficult it is to bring down spending to be in line with the times.”