The document provides instructions for an assignment on reflecting on options to balance the federal budget before a class deliberation. Students are asked to choose the budget option they most agree with, provide 4 reasons for their choice, and note one aspect they disagree with. The document also includes background information on the national debt and deficit, examples of government spending programs, and perspectives on whether the budget needs to be balanced.

1. Come in, sit down and quietly begin
writing your Pre-deliberation reflection
 Please turn off and put away your cell phones. As always, use of cell phone
will result in reduction in participation points. Thank you.
 After reading your Issues Forum booklet, and before our deliberation
today you are to choose an option that suits your viewpoints the best.
 Tell me which option is the most acceptable to you. Give 4 specific reasons
why you are leaning towards the particular option.
 Write something about that option that you disagree with.
 Not having an opinion is an unacceptable answer.

2. A Nation in Debt
How can we balance the budget?
 The National Debt
 “Can you balance the budget” game
 Next Tuesday - Read NIF Booklet American
Energy Policy and be prepared to discuss.
 Due Tuesday 11/17 Local Government
Reflection

3. Can You Balance the Budget?
Politicians talk about balancing the budget all the
time. Is it actually possible?
If you were in charge of the budget, how would you
spend the money? Would you cut programs the
public likes to balance the budget? Or would you
borrow more money and raise the deficit? Play this
game to find out…
https://www.icivics.org/games/peoples-pie

4. What is a deficit?
When politicians talk about the DEFICIT, they are referring to the debt the
government has when it spends more money than it takes in through taxes and
revenues. The National Debt is the total amount the Government owes.
+ The government makes money by collecting taxes, tariffs on imported
goods, revenues on services, and by printing more money.
- The government spends money on things like the military, running the
government, infrastructure –-like roads and bridges, education, health care,
and social security.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7N-0q4WgB4
The current national debt is 18.1 Trillion Dollars

5. Crazy Government Spending
Most of what the government spends money on are
things people need or on running the government.
Politicians and the public don’t always agree on what is
important. Sometimes, politicians fund things as favors
to supporters – this is called pork barrel spending.
Get out a sheet of paper. Take notes on this video You
will need your notes for the in class writing assignment.
This video makes fun of some government spending.
Do you agree or disagree with their examples?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq4-LizaMrE

6. Paying for war
The largest part of the
Federal Budget is spent on
the military.
We spend as much as the
next 11 countries put
together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE9zPiOCGzc

7. Do we have to balance the budget?
The Federal government is not the same as
you. When you owe money, you have to pay it
off with money you earn or borrow. But the
federal government can do something you
can’t. It can print more money!
Businessmen and corporations say this is a bad
idea because dollars will be wroth less in the
global market and it would cause inflation –
i.e. prices would rise for the things we buy.
But some economists say printing more money
can help get a stagnant or sluggish economy
going. Milton Friedman blamed the great
Depression on the lack of enough money in
circulation. What do you think?

8. Assignment for next class
 Read NIF Booklet and be prepared to discuss.
 Due Tuesday 11/17 Local Government
Reflection
 Coming up: Policy Paper due the following
week: 11/24