Name:_________________________

Score:

/30

Introduction: You are now responsible for creating the federal budget. Remember that we
have talked about the budgets are a representation of our values and beliefs. So your own
budget should represent your values.
Step 1: Define and describe what each department of the federal government does:
Department of Defense

Global War on Terror

Health and Human Services

Department of Education

Department of Veterans Affairs

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Department of State and Other International Programs

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Energy

Department of Justice

Department of Agriculture

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Department of Transportation

Department of the Treasury

Department of the Interior

Department of Labor

Step 2: Allocate money to each department of your budget

For some unknown reason, you are given a gift: 3.5 trillion US dollars.
Before you get too excited, you should know three things:
You dont get to keep the money past tomorrow /
Some of it $2.2 trillion to be precise has already been spent (on Social
Security, Medicare, interest on our national debt, etc).
That leaves you with approximately $1,300,000,000,000
Your need to divide up the money between the following 16 departments or
categories.
You can do this in any way you see fit.
Category
Budget Allotment
Department of Defense
$___________
Global War on Terror
$___________
Health and Human Services
$___________
Department of Education
$___________
Department of Veterans Affairs
$___________
Department of Housing and Urban Development
$___________
Department of State and Other International Programs
$___________
Department of Homeland Security
$___________
Department of Energy
$___________
Department of Justice
$___________
Department of Agriculture
$___________
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
$___________
Department of Transportation
$___________
Department of the Treasury
$___________
Department of the Interior
$___________
Department of Labor
$___________

Budget Total
Step 3 Graphing your Budget

Le
ge
nd

$___________

Step 4: Explaining your Budget as a Representation of your Values

1. What was the department that received the most amount of money in your budget? Why?
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2. What was the department that received the least amount of money in your budget? Why?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
________
3. How has this activity helped you better understand what your values are? What do you
believe governments should do?
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________________