Although personal and business consumption is an important part of the US economy, it would be a mistake to underestimate government consumption as a driving force in the economy. From my vantage point as a university lecturer and a scientist, I can see that the crisis in universities, and in scientific research, is closely tied to cuts in Government programs. Many people were laid off, new hiring stalled, and scholarship funds were threatened. If Government consumption in our sector is restored to previous levels, we can reopen construction and renovation programs, helping to create jobs for the construction industry and increase teaching capacity. teaching and research. Students with scholarships will again have money to buy what they need, contributing to economic activity. We have funds to staff scientific research and purchase equipment, which will not only take our scientific efforts forward but also boost the economy. I am sure that other Americans can see many examples in their own fields in which cuts to Government programs have directly led to economic recession. The government does not need to sit there helplessly watching the country's economy slide. The government is a key part of the economy, and their overly fundamentalist policies have helped get us into this mess. If the cuts we have already made are quickly reversed, this could be just the stimulus we need to revive the economy.