Norway is the extreme Scandinavian case, though — the only country I've ever been in where I suffered from constant, low-grade budget anxiety.
The shutdown is over but the budget anxiety continues.
Fine Gael/Labour took ownership of the austerity agenda in December's budget, implementing more massive cuts to public expenditure and social protection, and stoking widespread pre-budget anxiety as to whether dole payments or children's allowance would be cut.
Public anxiety, budget cuts, political pressures and, if recent history is any guide, scheming subordinates, will represent the most dangerous of its teeth.
The image of Dracula travelling on a ship in his coffin allayed the public's long-held anxieties about budget airlines such as People Express and ValuJet.
I'm more optimistic that if Senate moderates can get their act together and come up with their own proactive plan, they can help shape a budget that allays their anxieties while meeting the president's goals.
"For the United States, the notion of being dependent on China to help finance its budget deficits creates justifiable anxiety," said Mr. Prasad, now a professor at Cornell.
The cost of fuel in fire trucks, a scramble to hire new firefighters and new budget constraints have sowed anxiety as a persistent drought worsens in California and elsewhere, even as heavy rains cause flooding in other parts of the country.
WASHINGTON — At a time when $46 billion in mandatory budget cuts are causing anxiety at the Pentagon, administration officials see one potential benefit: there may be an opening to argue for deep reductions in programs long in President Obama's sights, and long resisted by Congress.
PAGE A24 SCALING BACK HEALTH PLANS With state budgets strained and anxiety about a worrisome economy widespread, the bold ideas about health care initiatives have given way to incrementalism and caution.
