If you’re curious what it takes to keep a state budget balanced this amazing visual explainer from infographic-star Jess Bachman of JessNet breaks it down using the Massachusetts state budget as a guide.

It illustrates “hundreds of government departments, agencies, and programs proportionate in size to their funding level. The largest item is $15 billion, the smallest is $65,000.”

There’s a lot of buzz lately about state and municipal budgets, especially the ones getting pinched by big declines in tax revenue and ballooning costs. And today we heard there may be some relief on the way. States could get a break on the interest payments they make on money borrowed from the federal government to cover unemployment benefits when President Obama releases his proposed budget in less than a week.

You might want to start studying up on JessNet’s similar poster-sized infographic of the federal budget.

(via: The Big Picture)