The government budget has been something of controversy since politics began. Money is something that is not supposed to be discussed, and yet everyone has an opinion, and shares it. Everyone has an opinion as to the reason, and who’s at fault. With everything, people try to find a person at fault. This infographic shows the progression of surplus and then the deficit, compared to the projections.
Look at this infographic, and then look at events that occurred in these years. For instance, the last time we were in a surplus was with Clinton. However, the biggest scandal Clinton faced involved his marriage, something personal. The first year Bush was in office, we were attacked. He decided to go to war, a costly decision. Now, Obama is at war, trying to change everything Bush did. Imagine making any change, from your decor in your home, to your budget. Any change is costly.
Challenge your students to find factual reasons for the deficit. Challenge them to state the reasons without opinion. Challenge them to share both sides, and to simply inform rather than persuade. Challenge your classroom to start a blog that does this. It is a politicians job to persuade, but everyone should be welcome to create their own opinions. Challenge your students to share the facts without persuading.
Blog: http://goo.gl/gpbt9