Rivlin talks about inflation and how the U.S. government works on its budget. She explores congressional perceptions of what the public wants as Congress makes budget policy. Rivlin lists congressional priorities for budget planning and describes President Reagan's proposed programs to help Americans in need. She supports the idea of tax cuts that will greatly benefit the public. Finally, Rivlin expresses the difference between the expectations set by the Reagan administration and by Congress in regard to how quickly the economy will recover. In contrast to the administration's expectation of rapid recovery, the expectation in Congress is that the economy will recover very slowly.