Intro

Are you sure that you want to delete all your answers and start over with a clean slate?
Welcome to Rebalance America

America is out of balance.

How would you fix it?

The deficit keeps climbing. The gap between the richest Americans and everyone else keeps growing. Our political system seems unable to fix these problems. Can you figure out how?

Rebalance is a game — but about the real world. It lets you explore ways to change taxes and spending. Weigh the pros and cons. Move the sliders. See if you can balance the budget while reducing inequality. Express your Considered OpinionsConventional opinion polls ask for quick, off-the-cuff opinions without the time for careful consideration. Rebalance gives you the background, history and international context, with pros and cons. You can test the effects of alternative policies on the deficit, inequality, and your own finances. That’s why we call the choices you select at the end of each page your Considered Opinions.. Compare and share them.

Two imbalances

Most Americans, whatever their party, see both as big problems. They don't agree on what to do about them.

The deficit

Year after year, Washington spends more than it collects, and borrows the difference. Should we cut spending, raise taxes, or both? And which ones?

$40 trillion+
National debt, about $117,000 for every resident.
66% & 62%
of Democrats and Republicans call the deficit "a very big problem."
Pew Research Center, 2026

Inequality

Income and wealth have been flowing to the top for decades, and AI may speed that up. Which changes to taxes, spending, and benefits would narrow the gap, and at what cost?

80%
of Americans say wealth inequality is a big problem.
YouGov/Economist, 2026
59%
want the government to try to reduce the gap between rich and poor.
YouGov/Economist, 2026

How to use Rebalance

Start with the top level: overall tax revenues, spending, red ink (the deficit), and inequality. Set your own targets for each. Then try Quick Rebalance to see if you can meet your targets in 7 minutes!

  1. TaxesHow much does Washington collect, and from whom?
  2. SpendingWhere does the money go?
  3. Red InkThe deficit, and the debt it adds up to.
  4. InequalityWho has how much, and how that has changed.
  5. Quick RebalanceCan you meet your targets? Try it in 7 minutes.
Start with the basics →

After you've looked at the basics to set your targets, you can go into the specifics. Explore each tax, spending, and benefit program on its own page. And develop your Considered Opinion about how to improve it. As you go, you'll see your progress towards your targets for the deficit and inequality.

Want to know why we built Rebalance, and what we hope it can achieve before the 2028 election? Read Why Rebalance?

Rebalance America is a neutral platform.
It isn't pro or con taxes or spending, deficits or inequality.
It's just pro arithmetic.

Where do the numbers come from? See Data and models.