In Oregon, between 1995 and 1997, the state budget relied for 9% of its revenue on the lottery system, most of it from video poker.

CNN: They Call It Video Crack

More dangerously, the governor has been reduced to raiding the state pension system in her attempts to bridge the deficit in the state budget.

ECONOMIST: New Jersey politics

The provision, included in the new budget legislation, will also make annual state education aid increases contingent on having an evaluation system.

WSJ: Deal May Ease Evaluation Plan

With the state of California wracked by long-standing budget issues, there is wide acceptance that the death penalty system needs reform.

BBC: California to vote on abolishing death penalty

The two parties agreed to eliminate the budget deficit within one parliament, to give state schools much more autonomy and to redesign the welfare system so that taking a job almost always pays.

ECONOMIST: Bagehot

Rising demands to fund health care, education, and the state pension system present a challenge to the Polish government's effort to hold the consolidated public sector budget deficit under 3.0% of GDP, a target which was achieved in 2007.

FORBES: #33 Poland