The issue with requiring balanced budgets at the federal level is there are a number of situations where, by any economic theory, you want to run deficits. So

The issue with requiring balanced budgets at the federal level is there are a number of situations where, by any economic theory, you want to run deficits. So what you really need is an impartial Fed-budgetary-counterpart arbiter that declares when balanced budget rules are and aren't in effect. And probably toss in what target percent of debt needs to be paid down too.