Age: 42
Occupation: Wisconsin Representative
In the past two years, Ryan's dramatic plans to trim America's ballooning entitlement programs have gained traction in Congress. Proposals to transform Medicare with vouchers and send Medicaid dollars back to the states were adopted by the House last year, propelling deficits to the top of Washington's agenda. Ryan's second annual budget for the GOP came out in March, and while it won't pass a Democratic Senate, it figures to be a major issue in the upcoming election.