Washington Post Trivia Quiz: Is a $1 Billion Budget Shortfall in Kansas a Bigger Deal Than a $1.8 Billion Gap in Pennsylvania

The paper must have assumed everyone knew the answer to this question since it didn't bother to put these budget numbers in any context, like expressing them as a share of the total budget. These numbers appeared in an article on the fiscal situations of states this year.

Incredibly, the article threw out numbers for budget shortfalls and gave readers no context whatsoever. While the Post undoubtedly has a well-educated readership, it is not likely that many are familiar with the relative siz...