Both political parties, but the Republicans probably more than the Democrats, have ideologies built around budget myths surrounding future budget outcomes. The Republicans say that tax cuts and low taxes on dividends and capital gains will pay for themselves in the future--the growth myth--while Democrats say that high levels of future entitlements--the entitlement myth--can be funded if everyone pays "their fair share."



These budget myths are at the heart of the brand identification each party has built up and upon which they compete for "market share," or votes.



Accurate scoring of budget proposals would undercut the budget myths upon which each political party's establishment is heavily invested in. Second, the budget myths actually deliver real benefits to each party's base: the wealthy have gotten lower taxes and tens of millions of Americans have gotten more entitlements than their contributions would otherwise merit. The myths work!



Do the myths ensure a sustainable future? Most certainly the opposite is the case. They derange the future.



Would more accurate information on future budgets improve public voting, and thus decision making? Wouldn't it be nice to think so!



More likely, a sharp rise in interest rates at some point in the future will drive the reality of budget imbalances right into the lap of some sitting Congress and a decade of public delusion will run into an impenetrable reality.



Then, even though growth is the best way forward, growth will get sacrificed to austerity.