The financial situation of North Rhine-Westphalia is of utmost importance for Germany as a whole. However, North Rhine-Westphalia has not yet implemented the "debt brake" that the Basic Law mandates. Therefore, such a "debt brake" is on the agenda of the constitutional reform commission of the state legislature of North Rhine-Westphalia. Against this backdrop, this book answers the question whether such a constitutional amendment is advisable. It analyzes the requirements that are imposed by federal law and describes the discretion of the states regarding its implementation. The authors also discuss politically charged questions such as the role of municipalities and safeguards against the circumvention of the "debt brake." They finally propose a constitutional amendment that takes all of these concerns into consideration.