iCivics
County Government: High School
Balancing a budget—the bane of many people's existence! Yet, its' something that must be done, especially in government systems. The resource, fourth in a seven-part series exploring local government, focuses on various exercises that...
DocsTeach
Senators' Pay in the First Congress
Senators are public servants but they do get paychecks. The activity focuses on historical analysis and a treasury document from the first Congress. Scholars read the document, answer questions, and participate in group discussion to...
US Department of Commerce
Featured Activity: Exploring Questions for the 2020 Census
Just what is the census for? Using data and census questions, class members explore how officials gather information. Then, they consider how the government uses the answers to determine how it spends its money with a collaborative...
Radford University
Government Spending
Spend some time with lines of best fit. An informative unit has learners investigate government spending. They research data on poverty, educational spending, social security, and defense spending, and then analyze lines of best fit for...
College Board
2005 AP® Microeconomics Free-Response Questions Form B
A rabies vaccine company has a monopoly, but fluctuations in wages are impacting its profits. A series of questions from College Board considers the problem. Other practice questions include an examination of price and output curves and...
College Board
2006 AP® Microeconomics Free-Response Questions
Communities often experience a tug-of-war between a desire for open space and a need for development. How can governmental policy affect each side of the issue? Scholars consider the question, along with queries on pricing and...
College Board
2008 AP® Microeconomics Free-Response Questions
The government can tweak the economy through a variety of tools. What are their long- and short-term effects? A problem set from College Board examines how the government sometimes pulls the strings to control the economy.
College Board
2003 AP® Macroeconomics Free-Response Questions
A country experiences inflation. What options does the government have to control the problem? Using authentic materials from College Board, learners consider the problem. Additional questions explore supply and demand curves, as well as...
College Board
2006 AP® Macroeconomics Free-Response Questions Form B
How does employment affect supply and demand? It may seem like a simple question, but an authentic prompt from College Board helps learners unpack various scenarios. Additional queries explore exchange rates and the effects of monetary...
College Board
2008 AP® Macroeconomics Free-Response Questions Form B
What happens if Mexico decreases tariffs on imported cars? Learners consider the question and others using authentic College Board materials. Other questions include evaluating the effects of government spending on a fictional country...
College Board
2010 AP® Macroeconomics Free-Response Questions
Defense spending often has massive impacts on the economy. Learners consider its effect in a hypothetical case and structured questions from College Board. A second query asks them to consider the effects of international trade on...
Federal Reserve Bank
Crowding Out
This is an incredible resource for teaching your young economists about the loanable funds market and the concept of crowding out. It includes a hands-on, physical activity that serves as a metaphor to help explain the economic practice.
Federal Reserve Bank
Choices Are Everywhere: Why Can’t We Just Have It All?
Here is a resource covering a range of terms and concepts regarding scarcity, opportunity cost, and government debt in economics.
Curated OER
Understanding the Debt Ceiling Debate and the Budget Control Act of 2011
Upper graders listen to a podcast on the EconTalk website featuring economist Keith Hennessey. The podcast focuses on the Budget Control Act of 2011, the national debt, and government spending. They read specifics about the BCA, then...
Curated OER
Conflicted Feelings About Government Benefits
Government spending on social programs in the US is a big topic. It is also the current event kids will read about as they delve into this issue of the New York Times. They'll read the article, then answer seven comprehension questions....
Curated OER
Chapter 11: Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply
Bring the intricacies of the Aggregate Demand-Aggregate Supply Model (AD-AS) to life in this detailed - yet understandable - presentation. Viewers will appreciate the clear explanations and graphs as they begin their adventure through...
Curated OER
Government Spending - Earmarks
In this government spending - earmarks worksheet, students research this topic (there are many links listed), examine the issue, write a letter to their congressional representative or a local newspaper, make a video or analyze the...
Council for Economic Education
Government Spending: Why Do We Spend the Way We Do?
Learners examine the categories for federal spending using the internet to locate them. They create a list of expenditures noting them as government purchases or transfer payments. They analyze the patterns of spending during the past 40...
Curated OER
Gross Domestic Pizza
Learners explore major components of gross domestic product (GDP) and how it is determined; students create and compare GDP pie charts for the countries of Pepperonia and Anchovia.
Curated OER
Child Poverty - The Wrong Trainers
Students study the problem of child poverty. They observe videos and recognize potential problems causing the poverty. Students investigate governments' spending decisions. They suggest possible solutions to child poverty. Students...
Curated OER
The Tax Man Cometh
Students examine websites and resources related to Bush's 2001 tax plan. They discuss the history of taxes and other tax topics. They look for evidence in the local newspaper of government spending at work.
Indiana University
The Center on Congress: E Learning Module: Federal Budget Allocation
Interactive learning activity teaches how Congress allocates funds in the federal budget for programs such as Homeland Security, Defense, and Education.
US Senate
Trends in Congressional Appropriations [Pdf]
Provides numerous graphs accompanied by explanations of the government spending since the 1960s. Focuses on the restraint of the 1990s but shows the steady growth in the last forty years. Link to .pdf file. Requires Adobe Reader.
American Chemical Society
The Pharmaceutical Century: The 1950s
This extensive review of the advances in medical research and technology in the 1950s credits the Cold War and Cold War thinking with promoting scientific research and government funding of that research, including medical issues. Find...