Federal Reserve Bank
Government Spending and Taxes
What types of government programs are designed to improve economic inequity in the United States? Introduce your learners to government programs, such as low-income housing, Social Security, and Medicaid, how they work to improve...
Council for Economic Education
Government Spending: Why Do We Spend the Way We Do?
Students 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...
Federal Reserve Bank
Income Taxes
Most adults dread April 15 — tax day! Tax preparation can be intimidating even for adults. Build confidence by leading individuals through the process and then give them a scenario to practice. The exercise uses tax vocabulary to give...
Curated OER
Your Tax Dollars at Work
In order to understand how tax dollars are spent, young economists use given data and graph it on a circle graph. Circle graphs are highly visual and can help individuals describe data. A class discussion follows the initial activity.
Council for Economic Education
The Role of Government: The Federal Government and Fiscal Policy
Give learners a crash course in balancing the books on the United States federal government level with an economics and government resource. Class members engage in a warm-up discussion and brainstorming session before answering...
Council for Economic Education
Tax Time Scavenger Hunt
Is a 1040EZ tax form really easy? Scholars investigate the complexities of the United States taxation system with an economics lesson. Using a wide variety of web sources, they interpret IRS taxation rules and regulations to better...
Curated OER
Taxes in U.S. History: Tax Reform in the 1960s and 1980s
High schoolers explain the content, purpose, and impact of the Tax Reform Acts of 1969 and 1986.
Curated OER
Labor, Choice, and Sales Tax
Students consider the idea of earning and spending money. In this money management lesson plan, students discuss the concept of saving and spending money through the reading of a story and by completing several activities that involve...
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.
Curated OER
The Role of Government
Students are introduced to the economic roles of the federal government. Using the internet, they read information related to government spending and the actual dollar amounts attached to budget items. In groups, they develop their own...
Curated OER
Parliament and Government
Students examine the roles of those in Parliament. In this British government lesson, students participate in a mock election and conduct research regarding the difference between Parliament and government.
American Bar Association
What Is Separation of Powers?
Who has the power? Scholars investigate the creation of the three branches of government in the United States Constitution. They analyze just why the framers created the branches the way they did.
Curated OER
Micro Economics - Personal Budgeting
High schoolers explore the real world as it relates to money and how people use it. In this money management lesson, students jump into the real world as they role play with money through spending, saving, being married, single, having...
Curated OER
Spending Public Money
Pupils work in small groups. They imagine that they are the council committee. Students choose from a list of projects to be funded. They have one hundred thousand dollars to spend and they have to spend the money on a project that...
Curated OER
Your First Job
Pupils determine that they are responsible for paying income taxes through withholdings on earned income. They examine the Form W-4.
Curated OER
What Works and What Doesn't: The Potential and Limitations of Fiscal Policy
Twelfth graders study micro- and macro-economies. They examine theories about fiscal policy and the relationships between consumption and output, tax policy and government spending changes. They also consider how economic perspectives...
Curated OER
Law Day: Constitutional Law Outline
Students receive information about laws. Some of the categories include powers of the federal government, federal powers vs. state powers, and the Bill of Rights. It is in an outline form that looks like the student follows along with...
Curated OER
Dual Federalism
Young scholars compare and contrast the roles of federal and state governments in the United States. In this government lesson, students research state and national governments' joint and individual powers prior to debating a topic...
Curated OER
Paying for Government Services
Learners identify major sources of revenue for government spending and identify the type of tax that makes up the largest percentage of the federal budget. They are introduced to the major services provided by local, state and national...
Curated OER
Introduction to the National Debt
Students relate the national debt to the economy. In this algebra instructional activity, students discuss what the national debt is, create a national budget based on priority and what the government should spend money on. They analyze...
Curated OER
State Government Debt in Utah: Rapid Growth in Recent Years
Learners examine growth of debt in Utah state government from 1991 to present, compare general obligation debt and revenue debt incurred by state, identify four primary methods used by governments to finance projects, and complete...
Curated OER
Political Spectrum
For this government worksheet, high schoolers identify and describe the differences between each part of the political spectrum by listing some points under each title in the chart. Then they choose any of the 9 issues listed, discuss...
Curated OER
Debt and Deficits
Students identify, research and interpret the national debt and deficits of the past through today and why it has risen significantly in the last 20 years. They analyze the size and impacts and discuss the various policy measures for...
Curated OER
How Markets Work
Students explore the role of government in the economy market. In this economics lesson, students analyze the decision making and how it takes into consideration additional cost, benefits and public awareness of what they are trying to...