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¶ … balanced federal budget. Justify your position for or against a balanced federal budget by explaining the gains and losses associated with your position.
A balanced federal budget: Is it a good thing?
Why is a federal budget deficit so bad? The budget deficit is so politically contentious few seem willing to ask this simple question. Because of the anti-deficit hysteria, even some ordinary citizens will protest: 'I cannot spend at a deficit, why should the federal government?' However, this is a false analogy. There are often good reasons (for individuals as well as governments) to go into temporary debt. Classical Keynesian economic theory states that the federal government must spent at a deficit level to stimulate the economy during a recession. This fuels money into the pockets of consumers and a rise in consumption results more tax revenue and lower unemployment. "Macroeconomists have known for...
Everyone would have been much happier if the economy had continued to expand, which would have made stimulative deficit spending unnecessary" but given the ebbs and flows of the business cycle, recessions are inevitable and the government must seek to cushion citizens against them (Buchanan 2009). The risk of an economy spiraling into a depression means that government stimulus (spending) is required.
Trying to balance the budget during a recession is disastrous. People have more need for economic assistance to support themselves, and withholding aid in the form of food, healthcare, education for children, and other critical necessities will save money in the short run but ultimately hurt the long-term future of the country. The question…
Trying to balance the budget during a recession is disastrous. People have more need for economic assistance to support themselves, and withholding aid in the form of food, healthcare, education for children, and other critical necessities will save money in the short run but ultimately hurt the long-term future of the country. The question is not if budget deficits are 'bad' or 'good' but how they are being used. If they are being used in a positive fashion, to help the government get out of a recession, then they should not be viewed with disdain.
However, it should be noted that classical Keynesian economic theory held that the government should attempt to rectify the problem of being in debt during 'good times' by curtailing government spending and taking in more tax revenue when the economy is healthy. Time has shown us that once popular social programs are put into effect, it can be very difficult to cut them, even when the economy is good. This can result in budget deficits going up even during prosperous times. But some economists argue that as long as the additional spending is an investment in the future (such as employing people to build up the nation's infrastructure) this type of deficit spending is not necessarily a bad thing, either. "Support for basic research and development, education at all levels, nutrition for children at the critical early stages of physical and mental development, and countless other forms of federal spending constitute 'public investment' that enhances the living standards of both current and future Americans" and can justify government spending (Buchanan 2009).
Even many conservatives opposed to expanding government spending oppose a balanced budget amendment, given that it would force the government to raise taxes even during a recession to balance the budget. A balanced budget amendment would deprive policymakers of a critical tool to improve the economy and effectively straightjacket them into making specific decisions that might not be economically salutary. "Under a balanced-budget amendment, however, no countercyclical policy could emanate from Washington. Spending could not
However, when you look at the overall graduation rates of the district in comparison with the state average, one could effectively argue that these programs were failures by not keeping the district in line with the state number. There are number of different programs that are restricted from being adjusted these would include funds that would fall under the categories of: other special education funds, internally restricted funds and externally
The Office exacts a new level of accountability, which encourages a broader range of competitions and new organizations to enter these competitions. Congress authorizes the Office to develop the franchise funds pilots and to expand the competitive environment. It also invites the private sector to participate in new markets and at new levels of commercial workload. At the same time, it encourages the public to compete for the same
Bureaucracies can become self-justifying systems, and replicate ineffective administrative behaviors long after they have ceased to work. The Winter Commission Report (1993) was an attempt to provide advice to states and the federal government on the subject of civil service reform. Both bureaucratic as well as political reforms were deemed necessary to 'clean up' the civil service system and render it more effective in addressing the needs of the public.
Finance and Budgeting Mission and Goals of the Organization The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency within the Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's stated mission also encompasses its goals. The mission statement is "to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards" ("About the Agency,"
Fiscal Federalism To the Cato Institute: The Cato Institute policy statement on "Fiscal Federalism" is an excellent example of 'throwing the baby out with the bath water.' Yes, there may be unnecessary government bureaucracy involved in the awarding of federal grants to states. But the need for more efficiency does not mean that the entire program should be scrapped. During the recent 2008 recession, many states were cash-strapped and desperately needed funds
Maryland Prison System Crime is expensive. But so too is punishment. The state of Maryland, like the majority of states across the nation at the moment, is facing a period of slow economic growth and shrinking economic resources even as it continues to have to meet the needs of its citizens. This paper examines the effect on the state's overall budget of the cost of incarcerating prisoners. The treatment of prisoners causes