Stossel Goes To Washington

Preview QuestionsAsk these questions prior to viewingChapter 1: Introduction.1. Can you name some services that our local,state, and federal governments provide? Wheredo governments get the money for programslike these?2. In the United States, what percent of his orher earnings does an average adult pay intaxes? Do students like you pay taxes? Whatkinds?3. What is a government lobbyist?Ask these questions prior to viewingChapter 2: The Department of the Interior.4. Have you ever heard of the U.S. Department ofthe Interior? What do you think thisdepartment does?5. Are there any Indian reservations near yourcommunity? Why do some Native Americans liveon reservations? Who makes public decisions onreservations?6. What is public assistance? Do you thinkreceiving public assistance helps or harms poorpeople? Explain your answer.Ask these questions prior to viewingChapter 3: The Department of Housing andUrban Development.7. Have you ever heard of HUD, the U.S.Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment? What kinds of responsibilities doyou think this department has?8. What is “low-income housing”? Who pays forit? Describe some low-income housing projectsthat you have seen. In these complexes who isresponsible for making repairs?9. Do you know what privatization means? Do youthink privately owned companies usually do abetter job than government programs? Explainyour answer.Ask these questions prior to viewingChapter 4: Privatizing Public Services.10. What are some essential public services thatgovernments provide? Do you think our federal,state, and local governments do a good, mediocre,or bad job of running electrical and watersystems, ambulance services, and other suchprograms? Give examples to support your answer.11. Why might people want their government,rather than private companies, to run safetyrelatedservices such as air traffic control?Ask these questions prior to viewingChapter 5: When Government Stands inCharity’s Way.12. What is “the poverty line”?13. What is a charity? How is a private charitydifferent from a government program such asWelfare? Why might government programs havemore rules and regulations than privatelyowned charities have?Ask these questions prior to viewingChapter 6: When Government UsesForce/Summing Up.14. Under what circumstances can our governmentuse force? Can you describe any cases in whichour government has used force with mostlynegative results?15. If government officials decided to build a roadthrough your neighborhood, would it be lawfulfor them to tear down your home in order tomake room? How about if they wanted to builda business such as a shopping center? Couldthey lawfully tear down your home to makeroom for that? Why or why not?~4~©Disney