2015 Budget Activity
Day One:
--Read this NYTimes article from 2010, either online or the pdf
--THIS INTERACTIVE ONLINE GAME HAS DESCRIPTIONS ABOUT EACH OF THE DIFFERENT TOPICS. THEY WILL BE HELPFUL.
--You can work either alone (you are the President) or in pairs (one of you is the President, the other is the White House Chief of Staff).
Get in groups of three. You work in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). You've been in contact with the President (who hired you) for six months about what programs to pay for and which programs to decrease funding for. You need to find $1.345 trillion in budget savings. You also want the President (who hired you) to be re-elected because you'd like to keep your job as well. Each budget cut will make someone unhappy. Your decisions will hurt people. Some of your decisions will make Americans' lives better. Good luck. Fill out the budget sheet.
--"earmarks" are federal projects brought home to districts. Like the BART extension to San Jose. (See: porkbarrel)
Days Two and Three:
Continue trying to balance the budget.
It is January and POTUS is running for re-election in November.
However, now your roles have changed. You are now new people:
1) One of you is POTUS and must give a speech announcing your budget to the American People. You need to "sell" your plan to the public. You need to write out a speech using flowery, political language. How will you speak to the nation about the tough choices you've made? How can you do the important work of balancing the budget and also keep your high public approval rating? You need to be able to defend your choices if asked at the post-speech press conference. The rest of the class will act as the press. Work product Monday: a) A written speech, b) a spoken four-minute speech, c) a two-minute press conference.
2) One of you is the President's most trusted pollster/speechwriter. How will this budget "play in Poughkeepsie"? How does POTUS's budget effect his/her chances of re-election? Can you gain any voters by a budget strategy? What language can POTUS use to soften the blow to a budget cut? The President needs to know what to say to ensure his/her re-election. Work product Monday: a) an internal memo (not released to the public) advising the president on the chances of his/her re-election. List the voting blocs who will abandon him/her. Your job is to make sure that POTUS says the right things to get re-elected. How can POTUS frame the budget cuts so that the public agrees with them.
3) One of you is the President's Chief of Staff. Each budget cut / tax increase will mobilize several interest groups and PACs. Portions of the budget will be leaked prior to POTUS' speech. Your phone will begin ringing as interest groups make their opinions known. Remembering that all interest groups, agencies, congresspeople, and PACs work towards their own self-interest, you need to write an internal memo (not released to the public) for POTUS listing all of the possible interest groups who are angered or pleased by the new budget. Some of these groups donated money/will donate money to POTUS' campaign. Work product Monday: a) Memo listing all possible Special Interest Groups / PACs who have contacted you to lobby for their programs. What can be done to manage these Interest Groups? What can POTUS give up to temper their anger?
All written work needs to be shared via google docs by Tuesday at 8 a.m.
Expectations for writing:
Prez: The writing must include all of your budget choices. Every cut you made on the entire worksheet must be listed. It also must be written in "speech format". Use your flowery and persuasive language to get the support of American citizens.
Pollster/Speechwriter: Assume that the Prez saw this before finalizing his/her speech. Your format might include something that says "For POTUS eyes only" or something else cinematic. You refer to the president as Madam or Mr. You can use bullet points explaining what language s/he should use to keep support of the public. Also, you might tell him/her what budget items to showcase and which items to hide in vague language. You are the expert on how this budget plan will be received by the general public. Give your insights to the President in this memo.
Chief of Staff: You've been hearing from the more important/weathly/louder members of the public. You must tell your buddy, the President, who will be angry with him/her and why. Your memo also refers to the President as Madam or Mr. Bullet points are okay for you as well. You also help with language. Your goal is to not lose financial support from interest groups. You might have compromise ideas for him/her. You are the expert on re-election money, support, and Congressional hatred towards your boss, the President.
Expectations for speaking:
The entire group stands in front. Prez in middle, advisors next to him/her. President does most, but not all, of the speaking. For four minutes. The Prez can defer to either advisor. During the question/outrage/press conference portion, all members of the group should be consistent when answering questions. The advisors might know more about an issue than the Prez does. This happens in real press conferences all the time.
Four minute speech. Two minutes for Q & A. The audience is full of skeptical citizens and hard-charging journalists.
Day Four:
Speeches. Also, turn in one budget sheet per group. Thanks.