An interesting interactive feature at the NYT lets you play policy maker by making budget cuts and/or increasing taxes, and letting you solve the looming deficit crisis: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html It's possible, under the rules of their game, to eliminate the deficits in the near and long term without increasing taxes (you you accept nearly every proposed spending cut they list). Of course none of this shows any of the related impact on the economy, but it is still interesting.
Thanks Pandaemoni, pretty cool. I accomplished it with 60/40; 60% tax increases and 40% spending reductions. The game allows people to get a feel for what kind of change and what kinds of decisions will need to be made in order to get the nations finances back in order.
It it there Spidergoat under "Existing Taxes" Payroll tax: Subject some incomes above $106,000 to tax
Probably the best thing about this app is that it puts a lot of issues in scale. With any luck, supposed "deficit hawks" will no longer be able to cut some nominal earmarks or NPR funding while voting for billions in defense appropriations and medicare expansions and then successfully campaign as opponents of "big government."