As with others: values make most sense not in the abstract (how big is a stack of $1 trillion in $100 bills), but in context.
How does a budget item compare with other items on the budget? How does it compare with GDP or population? How does the cost of a school compare with a hospital?
The xkcd "money" graphic is a classic of the genre, representing values from a cup of coffee ($2) to the all human economic productivity ($2,397 trillion).
How does a budget item compare with other items on the budget? How does it compare with GDP or population? How does the cost of a school compare with a hospital?
Here's the US federal budget depicted graphically: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/2012...
The xkcd "money" graphic is a classic of the genre, representing values from a cup of coffee ($2) to the all human economic productivity ($2,397 trillion).
http://xkcd.com/980/huge