Remember, any politician who talks about running the economy like a business, or a household budget is treating you like an idiot. National economies, businesses and household budgets all work entirely differently. There are different things they can do and can't do. If your household is over-spending you can't lay off one of your kids. If your business needs more cash you can't levy taxes like a government. And if the government starts trying to downsize headcount, you're in deep trouble.