5) Collapse and restructuring. A very likely outcome. A crony congress and a stupid America continue to fiddle at the margins till forces beyond their control force a realignment. The problem: We'll never come out of this as good as we went into it. Also, the same crony forces will still be at play during any re-shuffle... So, it's doubtful meaningful reform and a clean slate will be the result. More likely is a network of band aids and whatever Austerity it takes to get by.. Powerful political forces will have to take less of a blow than weaker ones, of course. Growth will suck. The government won't go away.. It's not a panacea.