Please help, performance task, please complete all pages.

Balancing the Federal Budget Defense- This budget provides funding for the defense, protection, and security of the United States, including military and defense-related research and testing. Agencies funded include the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The subfunctions include: The Department of Defense (the military); Operations and maintenance, procurement, research, development, testing, and evaluation; Military construction and family housing; Atomic energy defense activities; Defense-related activities Energy and Water - This budget provides funding for energy management and some natural resources (water, etc.) management. The primary agency funded is the Department of Energy. The subfunctions include: Emergency energy preparedness; Energy information, policy, and regulation; Water resources. Interior and Environment - This budget provides funding for law enforcement, environmental education, and protection of national parks and public lands. Agencies funded include the Environmental Protection Agency, Forest Service, and the Department of Interior. The subfunctions include: Responsibilities to tribal governments; Renewable energy programs; Conservation of wetlands and wildlife habitats. Labor, HHS, Education - This budget provides funding for elementary, secondary, and vocational education; higher education, employment trainings, and healthcare services. The subfunctions include: Research and general education aids; Social services; Consumer and occupational health and safety; General retirement and disability insurance (excluding Social Security). lifelong California Economics LEP 3 HS - L4L Economics (2021) 30Balancing the Federal Budget Current Budget Amount Percent of Total Budget Budget Line Item (in millions) 1.79% Agriculture 17877 5.14% Commerce, Justice, Science 51357 48.09% Defense 180927 3.00% Energy and Water 29959 Financial Services 18554 1.86% Homeland Security 36285 3.63% Interior and Environment 26538 2.65% Labor, Health and Human Services, 135867 13.59% Education Legislative Branch 3453 0.35% Military Construction and Veteran 64249 6.42% Affairs State Foreign Operations 36391 3.64% Transportation, Housing, and Urban 96976 9.70% Development CURRENT TOTALS 1004928 99.84% 1. If there is a deficit, the government will either: spend money it does not have by borrowing, cut programs, or raise taxes. Circle the method you think is best and explain why. Read p. 462-466 to see what this means for the economy. 2. If there is a surplus, what should the government do with the extra money? 3. Why is it important to balance the budget? What would happen if the government repeatedly deficit spends? 4. Looking at how money is spent, according to the chart above, do you agree with how the government chooses to spend taxpayer money? lifelong California Economics LEP 3 HS - LAL Economics (2021) 36Balancing the Federal Budget answer. DIRECTIONS: Read the information below and answer the questions by circling the correct response or writing the Energy and Water A 4% Energy and Water budget decrease may cause the government to drastically reduce or even eliminate some environmental regulations and pollution controls. The environment could suffer. On the other hand, businesses may be able to cut or lower costs if they have to spend less on such regulations and controls. It's difficult to estimate the impact of cuts on the environment. Your constituents are divided-some want more environmental controls and some want less. A 2% Energy and Water budget decrease may create short-term savings for businesses in your district if fewer inspections for wastewater compliance reduced time and labor-and thus money-required for compliance. Fewer inspections, however, could potentially lead to reduced compliance and reduced water quality for water users. Your constituents are divided-some want more environmental controls and some want less. 0% - Your Energy and Water budget will remain the same. A 2% Energy and Water budget increase may result in stricter wastewater treatment controls, limit access to water, or increase regulations for water use. Businesses may have to purchase new equipment, change their processes or pay more for access to water to be in compliance, which may be costly. The regulations, however, may lower costs in the longer term as resources are used more efficiently. Your constituents are divided-some want more environmental controls and some want less. A 4% Energy and Water budget increase may result in additional environmental regulations and pollution controls that would help the environment. To cover the cost of compliance, business owners may have to raise their prices, and you may even have to push for an increase in taxes. Your constituents are divided-some want more environmental controls and some want less. 1. Did your decision for this subcommittee (circle one): balance the budget, create a deficit, create a surplus 2. How much was the deficit or surplus if there was one?_ lifelong California Economics LEP 3 HS - LAL Economics (2021) 33Balancing the Federal Budget DIRECTIONS: Read the information below and answer the questions by circling the correct response or writing the answer. Defense A 4% Defense budget decrease would affect a local military base in your district, which would likely raise unemployment near the base. In addition, some operations at the base may be eliminated or moved to other locations, which could hurt many local and state businesses and areas of your district beyond the military base. Half of your constituents would support a decrease in spending if it would reduce the government's deficit and debt. A 2% Defense budget decrease would affect a military base in your district, which could lead to staff reductions and raise unemployment for civilian workers near the base, in restaurants, stores, repair shops, etc. Half of your constituents would support a decrease in spending if it would reduce the government's deficit and debt. 0% - Your Defense budget will remain the same. A 2% Defense budget increase may benefit a military base in your district because it may create employment opportunities for local workers in businesses that support base personnel in restaurants, stores, repair shops, etc. Half of your constituents would support a decrease in spending if it would reduce the government's deficit and debt. A 4% Defense budget increase may concern about half of your constituents, who would support a decrease in spending if it would reduce the government's deficit and debt. 1. Did your decision for this subcommittee (circle one): balance the budget, create a deficit, create a surplus 2. How much was the deficit or surplus if there was one? lifelong California Economica LEP 3 HS - LAL Economics (2021) 32Balancing the Federal Budget DIRECTIONS: Read the information on the next few pages and answer the questions that follow. You have just won a very close election (only 1% margin) to a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. You will serve on two subcommittees of the House Committee on Appropriations. In these subcommittees, you and your colleagues will give feedback, make important decisions, and approve a budget. Before you begin work in your committees, here's some information to keep in mind about your new position and constituents: You are replacing a member of Congress who retired after serving 15 terms (30 years). Budget issues are very important in your home district. Your constituents are informed and active in politics; they pay attention, vote, and keep up with how their elected officials vote. In Congress, it's important to balance your personal convictions with your constituents'views. Many newspapers publish how elected officials vote on various matters affecting the district. As mentioned, your constituents follow politics closely. If your votes in Congress don't align closely and frequently with the various people you represent, they may not reelect you. Reelection is every two years. Public opinion in your district is divided evenly on many issues, so you must vote based on your convictions while keeping your constituents' best interests in mind. Budget Functions The federal budget includes 20 budget functions. The budget contains discretionary and mandatory budget items. Mandatory spending is government spending (e.g., for Social Security and Medicare) required by laws other than appropriation acts. Discretionary spending is government spending authorized annually through appropriation acts. Appropriations, in general, provide many federal agencies with the legal authority to spend funds from the U.S. Treasury for specified purposes. First, there must be authorization; then there is appropriation. Through the annual appropriations process, Congress determines the federal budget for discretionary spending. Because mandatory spending is already determined, it is not managed by the Committees on Appropriations. lifelong California Economics LEP 3 HS - LAL Economics (2021) 29Balancing the Federal Budget DIRECTIONS: Read the information below and answer the questions by circling the correct response or writing the answer. Interior and Environment A 4% Interior and Environment budget decrease may reduce taxes for constituents in your district. However this decrease may cause delays in the clean up of the polluted site and cut funding for the national parks in your district. Reduced funding for national parks would likely shorten park hours, reduce the number of campsites available, or even cause park closures. Fewer park visitors would likely reduce money spent in the area on hotels, fuel, food, outdoor equipment, etc. Your constituents are divided-some want more environmental controls and some want less. A 2% Interior and Environment budget decrease may result in the clean up of a polluted site in your district. Your constituents are divided-some want more environmental controls and some want less. 0% - Your Interior and Environment budget will remain the same. A 2% Interior and Environment budget increase may allow for the faster clean up of a polluted site in your district, but the constituents who live far from the site may not support the decision. Your constituents are divided-some want more environmental controls and some want less. A 4% Interior and Environment budget increase may fund improvements of national parks in your district, which may increase local revenue from tourists, as well as allow for the clean up of the polluted site in your district. However, the increase may require you to raise taxes. Your constituents are divided-some want more environmental controls and some want less. 1. Did your decision for this subcommittee (circle one): balance the budget, create a deficit, create a surplus 2. How much was the deficit or surplus if there was one? lifelong California Economics LEP 3 HS - LAL Economics (2021) 34Performance Task: Balancing the Federal Budge DIRECTIONS: Be sure to include the following in your Performance Task: Read the scenario Complete each activity as you proceed. Create a PowerPoint or multimedia presentation to your constituents that highlights of the following information: 3-5 bullet points explaining the two subcommittees you served on; Explain what you chose to do and give a 1-2 sentence rationale of why you chose it; Whether your decisions led to a deficit, surplus, or a balanced budget and an explanation of why; The opinion you have on the importance of balancing a budget; Whether you agree with the government's decisions to spend the way it does. (You must research further, if you want more categories. ) You need to explain in detail, which categories you think need more or less spending on, which category you might eliminate or add. This should be a well-thought out, detailed description; Research whether our current budget is balanced or not and how deficit spending is affecting our country. Write at least 5 sentences. CBO lifelong California Economics LEP 3 HS - L4L Economics (2021) 28Balancing the Federal Budget Your subcommittees' budget decisions will affect the activities and budget accounts of different federal agencies. For example, if you believe funding for higher education and the Department of Education is most important, serve on the "Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education" subcommittee. When making funding decisions, consider who may be affected negatively or positively. For example, if you decide to cut the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education budget, it will likely affect a number of the voters in your district. College students and their families may have to pay higher tuition, and some professors may experience unemployment. Some taxpayers, however, may get relief through lower taxes. Read your policy adviser's feedback to see how funding changes may affect certain government programs. As you complete the simulation, remember two things: (i) Your constituents will be watching how well you support their positions and (ii) you face reelection every two years. 1. Write the two subcommittees you will serve on: The information on your subcommittees will be on the next few pages. Read about the two you chose and then complete the budget activities. BACKGROUND: Before Congress meets to discuss the budget, the president suggests how much the administration would like to spend on the budget, but it is just a proposal. For this activity, the budget resolution established discretionary spending totaling $1 trillion. To keep within the allocations set by the budget resolution, the funding must not be more than +/- 10 billion of the $1 trillion. You do not have to stay within the president's suggestions. Assume the president's budget is balanced. You could keep spending the same, increase one, while decreasing the other. lifelong California Economics LEP 3 HS - LAL Economics (2021) 31Balancing the Federal Budget 5. Look up the current budget. Does the government have a balanced budget at this point? Please explain whether it is balanced, at a deficit, or at a surplus, then explain the effect this will have on our country. Now complete the multimedia presentation using the directions below. Create a PowerPoint or multimedia presentation to your constituents highlights of the following information: 3-5 bullet points explaining the two subcommittees you served on; Explain what you chose to do and give a 1-2 sentence rationale of why you chose it; Whether your decisions led to a deficit, surplus, or a balanced budget and an explanation of why; The opinion you have on the importance of balancing a budget; Whether you agree with the government's decisions to spend the way it does. (You must research further, if you want more categories. ) You need to explain in detail, which categories you think need more or less spending on, which category you might eliminate or add. This should be a well-thought out, detailed description; Research whether our current budget is balanced or not and how deficit spending is affecting our country. Write at least 5 sentences. lifelong California Economics LEP 3 HS - LAL Economics (2021) 37Balancing the Federal Budget answer. DIRECTIONS: Read the information below and answer the questions by circling the correct response or writing the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education A 4% Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education budget decrease may limit the availability of Pell Grants. In addition, it may reduce or eliminate three specific programs at the K-12 level. About half of the voters in your district feel a reduction in these programs "would help increase entrepreneurship in the district" and about half feel "cuts to these programs are unfair to the poor." A 2% Labor, Health and Human Services, Education budget decrease may limit the number of federal Pell Grants available to college students. Pell Grants are need-based grants to low-income college students. Unlike student loans, grants do not have to be paid back. Your constituents are evenly divided on whether education has too much funding or not enough funding. 0% - Your Labor, Health and Human Services, Education budget will remain the same. A 2% Labor, Health and Human Services, Education budget increase may increase the number of federal Pell Grants available to college students. Pell Grants are need-based grants to low-income college students. Unlike student loans, grants do not have to be repaid. In the future, better-educated workers could lower unemployment and increase worker productivity and income for people in your district. Your constituents are divided evenly on whether education has too much funding or not enough funding. About half of the voters in your district feel an increase in these programs "would stifle entrepreneurship in the district" and about half feel "increases in these programs would help the poor." A 4% Labor, Health and Human Services, Education budget increase may increase the availability of Pell Grants, as mentioned above. In addition, it may expand three specific programs at the K-12 level: Title I, which supports academic achievement for disadvantaged students; Title II, which provides funding for states to recruit and train principals, assistant principals, and teachers; Title III, which provides support for students with limited English proficiency. About half of the voters in your district feel an increase in these programs "would stifle entrepreneurship in the district" and about half feel "increases in these programs would help the poor." 1. Did your decision for this subcommittee (circle one): balance the budget, create a deficit, create a surplus 2. How much was the deficit or surplus if there was one?_ lifelong California Economics LEP 3 HS - LAL Economics (2021) 35sumac-Momma ms *... Performance Task For this Performance Task, YOU Will be a freshman lawmaker in the US. House of Representatives trying to serve your constituents and the 1ong~term goals of the United States. You will need to learn about the federal budget process and how federal government initiatives and programs are funded. A government budget Will fall into one Of three conditions based on the difference between how much the government collects in taxes and fees and how much the government Spends. The budget will be balanced, have a budget surplus, or have a budget decit. If the sum of the accumulation of budget surpluses and decits from year to year is negative, the result is national debt. As you can imagine, there are costs and benets to lawmakers' budget decisions. The budget creation process is complex. This course simulates the process in a general way, using actual names for the various funding categories, but it does not include all the details you might see in an ofcial budget. HS - L41. Economia (2021) 27