G15

(a) A balanced budget occurs when current expenditures are equal to receipts.

(b) Federal entitlements are payments by the national government to organizations or individuals that are obligated by government according to certain criteria. 

(c) Medicaid is an example of an entitlement. This expenditure limits the federal government from achieving a balanced budget because Medicaid is a growing expense, but does not create a profit. Medicaid is an entitlement though, meaning the federal government is required to cover the expenses, therefore ever-increasing the national debt. 

(d) One consequence of large budget deficits is that the current government is leaving less economic stability for the upcoming generation. As the debt increases, the possibilities for organizations and individuals to prosper decreases, providing a less stable economy as the years go by.

(e) Our projected revenue for 2012 was $2.5 trillion; our expenditures were $3.8 trillion; our budget deficit was $1.3 trillion. 

http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/federal_budget

(f) The total national debt, although it is constantly increasing, is about $16,534,403,540,104 

http://www.usdebtclock.org/# 

G11

Proposed Policies:

"Medical bills shouldn't be based on the number of hours in the hospital, but by the quality of care our patients receive"

"We must keep the promises we already made"

"We can get this done."

"So what are we waiting for? Take a vote, and send me that bill"

"Not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government"

"We can fix this, and we will. The American people demand it, and so does our democracy."

"They deserve a simple vote."

Obama proposed a policy of tax reform and company codes that closes loopholes for companies that send jobs overseas, and benefit companies that keep the jobs here in America. He urged Congress to come together to come up with a plan to control climate change; he proposed starting an energy preservation trust and cutting in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses in twenty years. Obama proposed a rebuilding effort that will supply infrastructure on highways and bridges, and help families refinance and buy homes in a responsible manner. He proposed working with states to make high-quality early childhood education (pre-schooling) available to every family in the U.S. Obama urged the House to follow suit in passing the Violence Against Women Act as the Senate did today. He also proposed raising the minimum wage amount to $9/hour in order to raise the incomes of millions of working-class families. He proposed a non-partisan commission to improve the voting procedures in the U.S., and background checks and regulations to make it harder for criminals to have access to guns.

Style:

I thought that Obama sounded strong. He was confident in what he was saying, and with many hand motions he spelled out exactly what he wanted to get done in the upcoming years. He spoke rather quickly, not stumbling over his words or taking many deliberate pauses. However, although he spoke with determination, the beginning of his speech sounded like re-hashed campaign speeches, not exactly lacking the broad statements without specific plans (although later on in the address he mentioned specific proposals). I was concerned when he proposed giving more funding to education and research in math, science, and engineering "that will help grow our economy," for that inherently entails giving less funding to the arts and humanities, which are equally important disciplines. Obama did tell a personal story about a young girl who was shot and killed in a Chicago park after school - sentimental, hits home on the gun violence issue.

Media/Audience Response:

Many attendants wore green ribbons to commemorate the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. John Boehner seemed to be trying very hard to remain straight-faced, and he did not join in clapping for most of Obama's statements. When Obama spoke about such policies like rebuilding efforts and education, the camera panned to Sean Donovan and Arne Duncan (and a random kid in the audience), respectively.

Standing ovations for: tax reform, "Not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government", when he actually said the words "climate change," infrastructure on highways and bridges, raising the minimum wage, gun control, and more.

G10

1. The president seems most concerned with health and human services, and social security. Obama is proposing adding 8.4% to the amount of money supporting centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, upping the proportioned amount to $1.18 trillion. He is also proposing 6.7% increase in spending on the social security administration. This would alter the social security budget to $875.5 billion.

2. Obama plans to cut spending in the Defense Department by 1% to $525.4 billion this year. He plans to reduce Army and Marine personnel and end/limit purchases of new, and expensive, equipment within the department. President Obama may want to make these changes because he believes that the amount of money currently spent on defense is too high, and our economy could benefit from a reduction in such spending.

3. Relating to my answer in number 2, Obama's opponents in Congress will most likely strongly oppose a cut in defense spending and a raise in health care spending. The majority of the members of Congress support a heavy emphasis on military spending, and do not support public health care or an increase in spending on health care services.

G7

1 (a). Congress gives agencies policy-making discretion because members of Congress may not have the necessary expertise to run such agencies, and members of Congress also don't want the direct blame associated with mistakes from such agencies. The EPA, for example, needs to be staffed with people who are well-versed in environmental issues and solutions. Members of Congress, although they may be quite intelligent and passionate about environmental issues, have not studied the environment for the majority of their lives, and therefore could not make the most educated decisions for the agency. Congress also does not want to be blamed for the any mistakes that the agencies make. Congress does not have the time to deal with law suits and upset citizens/companies, so they hand the power over to specific personnel to manage. 

1 (b).  "Congress is fond of stating a broad policy goal in legislation and then leaving implementation up to the bureaucracies. Members of Congress can thus escape messy details, and place blame for the implementation decisions elsewhere." (pg. 484)

2 (a). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates human interaction with the environment, advocating methods by which clean air can be maintained and clean energy can be utilized. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates radio, television, and other broadcast media. The Federal Reserve Board is the central bank and monitors the monetary and financial system of our country.

2 (b). The EPA enforces laws, like the Clean Water Act, by investigating cases, collecting evidence, conducting forensic analyses and providing legal advice to help prosecute criminal conduct that threatens people's health and the environment. The Federal Reserve Board requires mortgage lenders to give them data regarding their lending patterns in order to regulate the amount of money banks give for home mortgages. The FCC oversees the authorization of equipment using the radio frequency spectrum and can deny the use of these devices if they do not comply with the standards specified by the commission.

3 (a). Congress ensures that federal agencies follow legislative intent allocating and withdrawing funds with which the agencies need to operate, and utilizing congressional oversight committees that can investigate the agencies. Congress has the enumerated power to create the annual budget, therefore giving Congress the power to divide up the funds between the federal agencies. If Congress believes that a certain federal agency is not acting within the best interest of government, and not following legislative intent, they can then give that agency less money to work with throughout the year. This sends a clear message to the agency that they are not in good standing with Congress, and gives the agency less power and influence. Congress can also use its power of legislative oversight to investigate alleged corruption within federal agencies. With such investigations, the congressional committees could potentially shut down a federal agency, or find reason to cut their funding.

G9

1. I would create a tax on substances such as alcohol and tobacco. This would increase the revenue brought in by such popular companies, boosting the economy. This tax would also decrease the amount consumed by citizens, therefore decreasing related crimes and accidents. I would also legalize marijuana and tax it heavily, allowing for a new source for money to circle into the economy. I would raise taxes on those who make more than $100,000 a year (working off of the the graduated income tax already in place). Those who make 100,000 dollars a year and more are responsible for paying more toward the economy that helped them get to where they are now. I would not raise taxes for lower- and middle-class families.

2. I did the Budget Puzzle by the NY Times.

3. I chose to cut most of the spending on our military. The United States is a superpower, and we don't need excess money being spent on nuclear arsenal and an overly ostentatious Navy and Air Force. I also chose to reduce the number of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to 30,000 by 2013. Our troops did not need to be there in the first place, and it's long past time that we left. I chose to not cut any of the provisions relating to Medicare. Although health insurance is expensive, all Americans deserve to be treated for illnesses, and it is by no means an area in which resources should be thwarted. I allowed expiration for the income about $250,000 a year, one of the Bush tax cuts. $250,000 is a lot of money, and only about 2% of Americans make that much a year. Therefore, they don't deserve a tax break. People who make that much money should pay more in taxes in order to contribute to the economy and society that they gain services from (roads, busses, hospitals, schools, etc.).