If a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution were passed, during an economic slowdown, such an amendment would

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A Balanced Budget Amendment would mandate that the federal budget is balanced each year, meaning that the government cannot run a deficit. During an economic slowdown, tax revenues decrease and government spending may increase (e.g. through increased spending on social welfare programs). Therefore, in order to balance the budget, the government would need to either increase taxes, decrease spending, or do some combination of the two. This could potentially worsen the economic slowdown, as a tax increase or spending cut may reduce the amount of money circulating in the economy.