Gonzalez 1 Jasmine Gonzalez 2/24/14 DBQ Period 1 The Preamble and Federal Budget The Preamble is often referred

to as the stepping-stone to exemplify our rights as American Citizens. The government should make adjustments in the way money is distributed throughout the three categories, because some of the three following characteristics possess more and/or an even equal amount of importance to one another. Many today may ask if we are slicing the pie correctly in regards to The Preamble and Federal Budget. In each of these clusters, changes should be made to balance The Big Five, The Middle Five, and The Little Guys. Firstly, The Big Five consists of Medicare/Medicaid and health, Interest on national debt, Safety Net Programs for Poor and Elderly, Defense, and Social Security that make up 82% of the Federal Budget (Doc. C). One characteristic of the Big five that should be adjusted would be the Safety Net Program for the poor. One way this could be adjusted would be to help those who are able to work, find jobs instead of them relying on the government for help, although they may need help, the Safety Net Programs (Doc. C) should solely be programs to help the poor get back on their feet. While on the other hand, those who arent able to work can use the Safety Net Program to help them get by day to day. A second characteristic that should be adjusted would be the

Gonzalez 2 amount of money spent to provide Defense should go do to add more money to more useful things such as the characteristics that make up the Middle Five, such as Education, Justice, and Homeland Security (Doc. D). Secondly, The Middle Five consists of Homeland Security, Veterans Benefits and Services, Justice, Education, and Transportation, which makes up 10% of the Federal Budget (Doc. D). In the Middle Five, there are several characteristics that need a lot more money to be brought their direction. Firstly, the most important spending change that needs to change would be in education. By providing more money for education it will allow learning, for our newer generations, to blossom and become more enriched in technology-based learning. This creates a stepping-stone for future education, for oncoming generations to become more successful and may even lead to better learning programs for students to understand things based on a more understandable, easy to navigate, and advanced level. Secondly, Shicks idea of creating a safety net also provides the reassurance of extra help if needed, by the people, from government. Although its impossible to make everyone happy, a safety net provides a various amount of help such as welfare and even disability (Doc.A). With all of the characteristics that make up the Middle Five (Doc D.), U.S. Citizens can thrive within their own communities and still become more educated and more knowledgeable. Also Citizens can feel a big level of comfort, stability, and even when they lose their job due to economic issues within employment itself, as a whole. Thirdly, The Little Guys consists of our countries most valued resources and services provided by the government. The characteristics included are The F.B.I, Energy, General Science and Space (N.A.S.A.), Natural Resources, And National Park

Gonzalez 3 Services. Although The Little Guys make up just 3% of the Federal Budget (Doc. E), this small percentage plays an enormous role in todays world. For example, we have been destroying our planet by polluting it with our vehicles and even day-to-day waste. By including Energy in the federal budget, this allows scientists to spend the necessary amounts of money to come up with solutions to help slowly cure our world by developing clean energy alternatives to oil and coal, securing nuclear waste and nuclear stockpiles (Doc E.). Another important characteristic included in The Little Guys would be the, Natural Resources and environment category. This allows us to carefully monitor/protect, conserve, and smartly use natural resources around us, such as public lands, water, and mineral resources (Doc. E). If we monitor and smartly use resources already near us, then the less energy and money we have to spend to make up for the lost natural resources. In conclusion, after carefully analyzing the federal budget and determining weather or not the pie is being sliced correctly, it became clearer to me, the reason for each group and its characteristics existence. While going over the documents repeatedly, each part of the Federal Budget seemed to involve the previously introduce characteristic, almost like a never-ending chain link rope. This shows that the groups have a lot of relevance with one another, but money should just be spent in a more responsible manor, such as prioritizing goals and meeting them.