Fiscal Policy Challenge

With the existing federal budget, the government spends more than it collects in taxes. We need a better path forward.

The Up to Us Fiscal Policy Challenge invites undergraduate teams to develop real budget proposals to stabilize the debt-to-GDP ratio while navigating competing policy priorities. Teams with the highest-rated proposals travel to Washington, D.C., to present and defend their solutions before policy leaders from organizations such as the American Action Forum, Bipartisan Policy Center, Brookings Institution, and Congressional Budget Office.  

This program is regarded as equivalent to a 400-level economics course. The difference is that your solutions will be evaluated by the experts currently working to address our country’s fiscal challenges. While you’ll bring a fresh perspective, you’ll leave with a sharper analytical eye, a deeper understanding of the potential solutions, and direct connections with leaders shaping the future of our fiscal policy — putting you on the path to representing the next generation of policy leadership.