Government/Economics

Course Description

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Resignation

Well, there’s no easy way to say this, so here it is: I’m leaving Westgate at the end of this school year. I’ll be teaching English and coaching basketball at my neighborhood school, Pomona High School. It’s bittersweet.  

I have the utmost confidence in our high school, our teachers, community, and our students. You are strong beyond measure and the institution is stable and vibrant because of you. It’s the perfect time for me to move on.  

I love Westgate today. I loved it yesterday. I will continue to love Westgate and am proud of my years of joyful service to it. It has been a professionally redeeming experience for me and one I don’t take for granted. I’m leaving entirely to pursue opportunities that Westgate, by virtue of model, geography, and philosophy cannot provide. These are institutional constraints, not failings. Westgate can’t, and shouldn’t, provide a basketball program, and that’s not a failing. Westgate can’t situate itself within my neighborhood a relaxing walk from my back door, which, naturally, isn’t a failing. Finally, since I’m not interested in administration, Westgate can’t offer opportunities for me to grow as a union teacher, which, again, isn’t a failing. I’m content and grateful. You will find me beaming from the front row at the next three graduations. 

As we transition out of this year, we’ll take the time to meet with students and as a community. We’ll circle up, like we always do. Mr. Brinkley and Mr. Cuevas will be here in support, as will Ms. Washington and Mrs. Novak. So will I. Anyone is welcome to email, call, schedule a conference or just drop by if they need anything. I’m still in service. And I’ll probably need a hug.  

 

Best, 

 

Micah Sturr 

Fiscal Policy Discussion Article

Federal Deficit Climbs Again, Putting It on Track for $1 Trillion This Year

 
Federal spending outpaced revenue by $317 billion over the first three months of fiscal 2019, according to the Congressional Budget Office.CreditSarah Silbiger/The New York Times
 
Jan. 8, 2019
 
WASHINGTON — The federal budget deficit continued to rise in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and is on pace to top $1 trillion for the year, as President Trump’s signature tax cuts continue to reduce corporate tax revenue, data released Tuesday shows.

The monthly numbers from the Congressional Budget Office also show an increase in spending on federal debt as rising interest rates drive up the cost of the government’s borrowing.

The widening deficit comes despite a booming economy and a low unemployment rate that would typically help fill the government’s coffers. Federal spending outpaced revenue by $317 billion over the first three months of the fiscal year, which began in October, the budget office reported. That was 41 percent higher than the same period a year ago, or 17 percent after factoring in payment shifts that made the fiscal 2018 first-quarter deficit appear smaller than it actually was.

The report did show one area of increasing revenue — from Mr. Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Revenue from levies on imported steel, aluminum and Chinese goods were up $8 billion from the same quarter a year ago, an 83 percent increase. That increase, however, is nowhere close to the levels needed to support Mr. Trump’s frequent claims that his tariffs will help pay down the national debt.

 

This fiscal year is the first to fully incorporate the reduced tax rates that Mr. Trump signed into law in late 2017, including cuts for individuals and closely held businesses and steep reductions for corporations. It continued a trend from the final three quarters of 2018, after the tax cuts took effect: falling tax receipts, at a time of relatively strong economic growth — a combination that shows the tax cuts are achieving nothing close to the administration’s promise that they would pay for themselves.

Corporate tax receipts fell by $9 billion for the quarter, or 15 percent. Individual receipts fell by $17 billion, or 4 percent. Interest costs on the debt rose by $16 billion for the quarter, or 19 percent. Interest costs for December were up 47 percent from the same month in 2017.

 

“It is entirely predictable and utterly depressing,” said Maya MacGuineas, the president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which advocates deficit reduction. “At a time when we should be working to keep the strong economy going and bring our debt down, our lawmakers seem unwilling to pay for anything and they just keep adding to the debt. All signs point to that it will continue to get worse before it gets better.”

Karl Smith, a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center, a think tank in Washington, welcomed the numbers as a sign that American fiscal policy is continuing to boost growth and encourage investment, as the economy encounters challenges including Mr. Trump’s trade war with China.

“The U.S. is facing headwinds from a global slowdown,” Mr. Smith said, “and needs both the stimulus of high deficits and an incentive to keep corporations expanding through what’s likely to be a rough patch of uncertainty, if not outright global recession.”

Some of that uncertainty stems from the ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government, which show no signs of ending. Among other disruptions, the shutdown has slowed the release of the Treasury Department’s own monthly deficit estimates. They were scheduled to be released later this week. But a note on the department’s websitesays that release will now be determined when the shutdown ends.

Weekly Update 4-29-19

We'll finish our Gross National Happiness wheels this week and gallery walk them together. 

Weekly Update 4-22-19

We'll start our work on monetary and fiscal policies this week and play a game in which you get to be the Fed and monkey with interest rates. 

Weekly Update 4-15-19

GDP calculations this week followed by flaws in GDP and crafting your own happiness indices. 

Weekly Update 4-8-19

Weekly Update 4-8-19 

This week is testing week in the high school. If you don’t have testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, stay home and work on your college classes.   

  • Monday – regular classes 
  • Tuesday – SAT for 11th grade  
  • Wednesday – PSAT for 9th and 10th 
  • Friday – CMAS Science for 11th  

Weekly Update 3-11-19

You'll use your BLS data and reasoning from last week to build your Job Recruitment Unfair! presentations. On Wednesday we'll host the fair and you'll find a new career path. 

Weekly Update 3-4-19

You'll get chocolate chips this week and we'll graph your likely diminishing marginal utility (hey, you might be a chocoholic) on their consumption. Then we'll dive into the fascinating world of the bureau of labor and statistics!  

Weekly Update 2-25-19

We will graph supply curves this week, figure out determinants for shifts in supply, and run an M&Ms lab to gather data on marginal utility and diminishing returns.  

Weekly Update 2-19-19

We'll build some widgets this week, graph supply curves, and then look at conditions that constrain supply. 

Weekly Update 2-11-19

We do the last round of Birka and determine winners. The rules change will be around elastic and inelastic demand. Then, you'll have your Birka test on Wednesday. The best test earns its writer the title of new king/queen of Birka, long may they reign! 

Weekly Update 2-4-19

We'll finish our equilibrium point graphing and then move to trade restrictions in Birka.  

Assignment 1-30-19/Equilibrium

Class -- I'm out today so you're going to do this using your computers. We won't be playing Birka today. You may do the practice part in pairs but the written assignment must be done individually and turned in with the substitute at the end of the hour. 
 
Start with this series of lessons on Khan Academy: 
 
 
There are six sections and you must complete all six. 
 
Once you finish this, ask the sub for the printed assignment. You must do this individually and turn it in by the end of the class. 
 
If you need additional resources, follow these links: 

Weekly Update 1-28-19

We'll start changing the rules of Birka to illustrate different economics concepts. Check the posted slides to see where we are if you want to prep for different ideas. 

Weekly Update 1-22-19

More Birka! We'll start playing with modified rules to simulate other economics concepts and we'll learn to graph equilibrium curves.