Past Event

Wilson Center and Brookings Institution Launch New Serious Game: The Fiscal Ship

All along the campaign trail, presidential candidates continue to make promises they can’t keep. They promise to give voters trillions in tax cuts while also balancing the budget and protecting popular programs from budget cuts.

Fact-checking journalists and spreadsheet-wielding advocates of fiscal responsibility challenge those assertions but reach a small slice of the population. So we asked: What else can be done to communicate the scale and scope of the debt problem?

To start with, we made a game. Whimsical, but grounded in the fiscal facts, it allows players with little background in the budget to come up with their own plan to stabilize the debt without compromising their values. It’s called The Fiscal Ship, and we’re hoping you’ll join us for its launch on April 26, and see it for yourself.

Rising federal debt isn’t a game. It’s a real problem—and many Americans know that. We hope you’ll join us to play The Fiscal Ship and spread the word about actual solutions to the dangers of rising debt.