Web Activity 1

By how much has President Bush proposed to change the level of government spending during the next four years? Which is a larger portion of the proposed federal budget, discretionary or mandatory spending? Find information to answer this question at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2002/budiv_3.html.

Web Activity 2

Look at a summary of the Tax Relief Act of 2001 at http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/tax-relief/. What was the purpose of tax cut? Was the tax policy designed to be a counter cyclical fiscal policy?

Web Activity 3

The U.S. federal budget is the focal point for debate on the role of government. Identify a liberal argument in favor of increased government spending at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities at www.cbpp.org. Identify a conservative argument against increased government spending at the National Center for Policy Analysis at www.ncpa.org/pd/budget/budget.htm. For each side, give one possible counterargument to the position taken.