 |  Sociology: The Core, 6/e Michael Hughes,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Carolyn J. Kroehler
James W. Vander Zanden,
The Ohio State University (Emeritus)
Political and Economic Power
Internet Exercises| Exercise 1
The federal budget is a large, complex document that uses a number of unique terms to describe how federal finances are managed. To learn more about the federal budget, log onto the Office of Management and Budget Web site (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2002/guide.html). Select "Where the money comes from – and where it goes." Read through the article and answer the following questions:
a. What is meant by the terms "on budget" and "off budget"? What is the rationale for leaving some items "off budget"?
Use Table 2-3 to answer the following questions:
b. Which function received the largest increase in spending between 1998 and 2000?
c. Did any functions experience cutbacks between 1998 and 2000?
d. Which four functions are projected to experience the largest increases in spending between 2000 and 2006? Does there appear to be any pattern to these increases?Exercise 2
The connection between political contributions and voting records is hotly debated. Learn more about who is contributing to your U.S. Representative (or Senator) by logging onto the Web site of the Center for Responsive Politics (http://www.opensecrets.org).
First, under the heading "2002 Data Available," click on "Fundraising Overview" to see the average amount of the contributions raised by House and Senate incumbents and the average amount of the contributions from PACs and individuals. This will provide a context within which to evaluate the funding breakdown of your own U.S. Representative (or Senator).
Next, go "back" to the home page, and in the box on the left marked "Find A Politician," type in the name of your U.S. Representative (or Senator); then click "Go." When the person's name appears on the next page, click on "money profile."
a. How do the numbers here compare with the overall averages listed in the Fundraising Overview?
On the right side of the page is a dark blue box with a list of the Representative's (Senator's) committee assignments. Click on the name of each committee to see a list of the top sectors contributing to members of that committee. Then go back to the preceding page. On the left there is a vertical beige bar with links to other statistics for the Representative (Senator). Click on "List PAC Contributions." This will give you a list of PAC contributions to your legislator broken down by sector.
b. Compare the sources of PAC contributions received by this legislator with the sources of PAC contributions to the legislator's committees.
c. How do these lists compare and contrast, and what are the implications?Exercise 3
Use an Internet search engine such as Yahoo or Google to find out what sorts of people are most likely to vote in national elections.
Try using "voter characteristics" for searching. Are the percentages you find different from those
presented in Figure 9.1 of the text? Are the data for a presidential election different from a midterm (Senate and House) election?
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2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education