Three World Events—Saudi Arabia, Catalan/Kurdistan Independence Fall Out, and the Congo

Three World Events—Saudi Arabia, Catalan/Kurdistan Independence Fall Out, and the Congo

Top of Mind with Julie Rose - Radio Archive, Episode 682 , Segment 1

Episode: Balanced Budget Amendment, Truth About Trailer Parks

  • Nov 15, 2017
  • 19:56 mins

Guest: Quinn Mecham, PhD, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University Each month we highlight three world events worth a closer look. Over the last week, hundreds of Saudis – including princes, prominent businessmen and former senior officials have been arrested. Why? What's the fallout from referenda in Catalonia and Kurdistan? The source of violence in the Congo?

Other Segments

Will We Ever Have a Balanced Budget Amendment?

19m

Guest: Ernest Istook, Former Republican Congressman from Oklahoma, Lecturer at Utah Valley University For years, Republicans—and some Democrats—have called for a “Balanced Budget Amendment” to be added to the US Constitution that would make it illegal for the federal government to spend more than it takes in.  But, if Republicans manage to pass the tax cuts they’ve proposed, they’ll add an estimated one-and-a-half trillion dollars to the deficit over ten years. The hope is that cutting taxes will lead to economic growth to counteract that deficit increase. But what does it really matter if the federal government spends more than it brings in? Do we really want to force Congress to balance the checkbook every year? And is amending the Constitution of the United States really the way to go?

Guest: Ernest Istook, Former Republican Congressman from Oklahoma, Lecturer at Utah Valley University For years, Republicans—and some Democrats—have called for a “Balanced Budget Amendment” to be added to the US Constitution that would make it illegal for the federal government to spend more than it takes in.  But, if Republicans manage to pass the tax cuts they’ve proposed, they’ll add an estimated one-and-a-half trillion dollars to the deficit over ten years. The hope is that cutting taxes will lead to economic growth to counteract that deficit increase. But what does it really matter if the federal government spends more than it brings in? Do we really want to force Congress to balance the checkbook every year? And is amending the Constitution of the United States really the way to go?