Post 2: Congress, the president & the budget showdown

The federal government is about to run out of money.  If Congress doesn't pass and the president doesn't sign a continuing resolution which gives the federal government money to continue to operate by September 30th there will be a government shutdown.

As you know the House of Representatives is controlled by the Republicans and the Senate and the White House are controlled by the Democrats.  In order for a continuing resolution to be passed it would need bipartisan support.  Some members of the Republican Party are using the tight timeline to push for something they have long wanted - the defeat of the Affordable Care Act (ie. Obamacare).

A lot of political commentators are speculating on the upcoming showdown.  You will join your voice in this national debate:

• Do you agree with the strategy of some Republicans to use this showdown as an opportunity to try to defund the Affordable Care Act ?
• If there is a government shutdown who should get the blame - the Republicans or the Democrats and why?  
• Do you think a government shutdown is or is not a responsible outcome from this showdown?

Please post your answer with a minimum of 3 sources backing up your argument.  See me for help if you are having trouble finding articles you can use.  Please cite your research and integrate your citations into your argument.

If you need an introduction to this topic I suggest this article from the Washington Post.

This post is due on Friday, September 27th.

Post 7 - the Deficit

Many political scientists would argue that the American public voted in the midterms that they were concerned about the economy and the deficit. Many current and newly elected members of Congress are arguing they have a mandate to be budget hawks.

• To what degree do you think the deficit is a serious political concern? Should it be our TOP priority now or should we wait until after we get out of this recession?
• What tactics should the federal government take to reduce our deficit?
• How likely is it that the federal government will take significant steps in the next two years to reduce the federal deficit?

Use news articles to back up your points. There is a national debate on this topic currently so you should have access to a lot of potential solutions for you to consider.

This is due on Friday, December 17th.