Budget+Process+Webquest+&+Essay


 * Learning about The Federal Budget Process ** Name: ______________________________
 * Directions: ** The creation and politics of the federal budget is an important part of this course. Use the resources **__hyperlinked__** (or other resources) to help you answer questions about the federal budget process.


 * __ I. Budget Vocabulary You Need to Know __**** : ** Use this [|link] to define these concepts in **//__10 words or less__//**. //These words appear many times throughout this lesson!//

1. **__Budget Resolution__**:

2. **__Appropriations Bill__**:

3. **__Mandatory Spending__**:

4. **__Discretionary Spending__**:

5. **__Entitlement Spending__**__:__

6. **__Receipts__**

7. **__Outlays__**:

8. List the breakdown of where the federal government receives funding:
 * __ II. THE BASICS OF THE BUDGET PROCESS __**
 * A. [|Federal Tax Revenues:] Use the data to answer the following questions **
 * ** Source of Revenue ** || ** List the Amount of Money Collected ** ||
 * List the __Largest__ Source of Revenue: ||  ||
 * List the __Second__ Largest Source of Revenue: ||  ||
 * List the __Third__ Largest Source of Revenue: ||  ||

9. How does a **regressive tax** [|differ] from a **progressive** tax?

10. What is the job of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?
 * B. [|The Office of Management and Budget:] **

11. How does the Congressional Budget Office affect the federal budget process? (use this [|link])

12. Which agency (CBO or OMB) has more credibility when it comes to providing non-politicized data and analysis?

13. Define __budget surplus__. What caused the surpluses to end in 2001?
 * C. [|Surpluses, Deficits, and the National Debt:] **

14. Define __budget deficit__. How does the government respond to a deficit? What are the possible effects of these government responses?

15. Define __national debt__. What can cause the national debt to rise? How does the national debt affect the budget process?

16. How do mandatory spending programs [|differ] from discretionary spending programs? What makes factor(s) determine if a [|program] is a “mandatory spending program”?

17. **__Succinctly summarize__** each of the following budget-making steps using this [|website].
 * __ D. Budget Timetable: __**
 * ** Name of Step ** ||  ** Succinct & Detailed Summary of Step **  ||
 * Step 1: President Submits a Budget Proposal ||  ||
 * Step 2: Congress Passes a Budget Resolution ||  ||
 * Step 3: Congressional Subcommittees 'Markup' Appropriation Bills ||  ||
 * Step 4: The House and Senate Vote on Appropriation Bills and Reconcile Differences ||  ||
 * Step 5: The President Signs each Appropriation Bill and the budget is enacted. ||  ||

18. What can Congress do if the budget timetable takes longer than expected? 19. Describe the impact to lobbyists and interest groups have on making the federal budget?
 * __ III. The Politics of Making the Federal Budget: __** Use this __[|link]__

20. Describe why earmarks are so controversial. What effect do earmarks have on the federal budget?


 * __ IV: YOU GET TO MAKE THE BUDGET __**
 * Directions ** : Go to this [|link]. In the introduction screen, click on **Congressional Budget** to learn about the basics of the federal budget.

21. Click on **__Your__** **__Estimate__** and decide how much the federal government spent on the following 14 items—put your estimates in the chart below before going to the next step: || ** Category **
 * ** Your Estimate (%) ** ||  ** Actual Budget (%) **  ||  ** What you Think it Should be? (%) **  ||
 * Agriculture ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Community Development ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Defense ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Education ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Environment ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Homeland Security ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Interest on the National Debt ||  ||   ||   ||
 * International Activities ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Law Enforcement ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Misc. Smaller Programs ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Science Programs ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Senior Programs ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Transportation ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Welfare ||  ||   ||   ||

22. Click on **__Actual Budget__** and write these percentages in the column above labeled **Actual Budget (%)**. How accurate were your predictions? Did you come across any surprises? Explain your answers.

23. Click on **What You Think it Should Be?** And allocate the money based on your preferences. After doing this, how does your budget compare/differ with the actual budget?

24. Describe the concept of Keynesian Economics. According to a Keynesian economist, what role should the government play when it comes to the economy?
 * V. Fiscal Policy: ** Use this [|video] to answer the following questions.

25. Define **fiscal policy**.

26. What parts of government control fiscal policy?

27. How does **//expansionary//** fiscal policy differ from **//contractionary//** fiscal policy?

28. According to the video, what type of fiscal policy do voters often prefer the most?

29. What are the potential problems if politicians always made fiscal policy based on the wishes of voters?

1. [] (2010/11 federal budget info) 2. [] (lots of data on the budget) 3. [|http://www.investopedia.com/articles/04/051904.asp#12924398005142&close] (fiscal policy explainer) 4. [] (focus on the deficit, but all of the budget is included) 5. [] (great explainer on the whole process)
 * __ More Helpful Budget Resources: __**