Category: Government

American Government I Week #2 Assignment 

Federal Budget Activity 

This week we learned about how laws get made by the legislative branch of our government. One of the biggest laws that regularly gets made by Congress is the Federal Budget.. The Federal Budget is a law that spells out how the government will spend its money. This is a huge power that Congress has that is often called, The Power of the Purse. If the 

Congress doesnt give the government money to do something in the Budget, the government wont have the resources do what it might want to do. 

Part 1 – Create Your Budget 

To create your budget, you must use the website: The Debt Fixer 

Note: if the CRFB Debt Fixer website is not working, you may use the Federal Balancing Act: An Interactive Budget Simulation website in its place. You are still required to turn in screenshots of your choices. 

Once you are at The Debt Fixer website and ready to begin click the next button. (Use the images below to help you navigate the site.) 

Begin to make your budget selections by selecting various check boxes. Click the i icon next to each line item if you want more information about any particular budget line item. 

Once you have sufficiently addressed each of the specific budget line items and arrived at the tab labeled results, click the printer icon beneath the text that says “Print and follow the on- screen instructions detailing how to export your results as a .pdf document. 

Do not forget to also submit your essay. You can upload multiple files in a single assignment submission. If you need help with this please contact your student advisor or instructor. 

It is strongly recommended that you use the Chrome or Firefox web browser for this activity. If you are having trouble getting your final results to display or are having difficulty exporting your final results as a PDF file, please try the following steps:
(1) Use the Chrome or Firefox web browser. 

(2) Take and upload screen shots of your budget selections to Blackboard along with your essay for this assignment.
(3) Contact your instructor to make alternative arrangements. 

Part 2 – Federal Budget Activity Reflection Essay 

In at least 500 words answer the following questions: 

Provide a justification of the budget choices you made within one of the following categories: Defense, Domestic, Social Security, Healthcare (you may NOT choose to focus on the categories labeled: Budget Path, Other, Revenue, or Tax Expenditures). In this defense you must address possible counter arguments to the budget decisions you made. If you are spending more under this category how are you going to get new revenue or gain public support for more deficit spending? If you are cutting funds what are you going to do with these surplus funds? 

•  Discuss how this assignment impacted your understanding of the budget process, and the debates between the parties and within Congress have regarding the federal budget? Do you think anything should be done to streamline the current budget process?
   
•  Discuss how difficult this would have been to do this activity as a group project what budget issues would have been contentious? How could you have come to a compromise?
  Dont forget to upload your pdf file of the budget as well as the text of your essay in your assignment submission. Both parts of this assignment at once must be submitted for grading.
  View your assignment rubric.
   

Explain how building partner capacity is the greatest challenge in Operation INHERENT RESOLVE (OIR) in Iraq with these points: 

Explain how the Department of Defense (DoD) can overcome that challenge through Security Cooperation. 

Explain how the DoD can overcome that challenge through Enhancing U.S. Military Logistics

Summation of how the DoD ought to consider how it could transition to teaching our partners to fish, rather than simply fishing for them. 

APA format.

1150 words (body of paper).

Six work citations 

must include: 

o Cover Page, 

o Abstract, 

o Body of the paper, and 

o Endnotes 

In about 200 words for each question answer the following:

1. How do we learn about objects of interest to intelligence through matter/energy interaction: emission, reflection, refraction, and absorption?
2. Describe resolution, discuss how this applies to intelligence, and define the principle measures of resolution used to analyze and evaluate collected information.
3. Describe the four types of satellite orbits and identify what types of collection are principally done from each orbit type.
4. How does synthetic aperture radar work and what advantages does it have over optical imagery?
5. Describe the three major branches of ELINT. Provide one real-life example (dates/places) of each–do your research!

Please use the assigned course readings. To earn points you MUST demonstrate that you’ve read and comprehended the content of the material linked below!

IN ADDITION, DO NOT USE QUOTES IN ANY OF YOUR ANSWERS

The DIA is an all-source defense intelligence agency that is designed to prevent strategic surprise and deliver a decision advantage to warfighters, defense planners, and policymakers.  In this day and age of massive budget deficits and increased Congressional Oversight has the DIA become redundant?  Consider the Intelligence Capabilities of the Regional Combatant Commanders, the individual services and the NSA/CIA in your response.
 

Also please consult the Chicago Style Guide for the correct format for your citation.  

• Paper should use Word, 12 pt. New Times Roman or Arial fonts.  
• No pictures or graphs should be used
• Paper should be 6 to 8 pages, double spaced.
• Please include a bibliography if using the footnote/bibliography method of Chicago style, or a reference list if using the author/date method (preferred but not required).
• You may use as many outside materials to develop your paper.
• Save your paper as, last name, first initial, PA2  (Example:  Jones, M PA2)
• The accuracy or your citations is gradable, as is grammar and clarity of writing.
• All formal rules of writing apply including limiting your use of direct quotes to no more than 10-15% of your text. 

The United States has faced and overcome many challenges in our 243 year history. What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing America as we move forward in the 21st century? This is not an easy question however I want you to think about it and do your best. 

  Please make sure to support your posts with sources to make your argument more effective.

Send me a link to a music video, television clip, stand-up comedy segment, or any other online media that will make me laugh about politics from the past year (2018-2019). Of course, be sure there isn’t anything inappropriate under the law or in violation of the academic freedom statement in the syllabus (some foul language is to be expected, which is ok since we are all adults).

Then, you must clearly identify how the humor is related to a specific concept/topic/lesson from the textbook as shown below.  This activity is worth up to 30 points. The grade will be based on the quality, sophistication and relevance of the media you identified.