Unit 8 Chapter 7, Sections 2-4 Taxing, Spending, Influencing and Helping Voters

I CAN: Define taxes and determine how the legislative branch can collect taxes Analyze the two-step process of how Congress can appropriate money Explain what a lobbyist is and what they do Understand how Congressmen use pork to get reelected.

Sec. 2: Taxing and Spending Taxes- money the people and businesses pay to support the government. Important work on taxes occur by the House Ways and Means Committee or Senate Finance Committee Closed rule- forbids members to offer any amendments to a bill from the floor

Appropriating Money Appropriation- approval of government spending The House and Senate appropriation committee handle all bills (13 subcommittee Authorization bill-sets up federal program and specifies how much money may be appropriated for that program ($30 million a year) Appropriation bill- provides the money needed to carry out the many laws Congress has passed

Uncontrollable Expenditures Some expenditures are uncontrollable because the government is legally committed to spend the money Entitlements- social programs that continue from year to year (Ex: Social Security)

Sec. 3 Influencing Congress Representatives of interest groups known as lobbyists, try to influence Congress by convincing members to support policies that favor their particular group, which is known as lobbying

Sec. 4: Helping Constituents Pass public works bills to help bring jobs/money/economy to their district (Ex: Roads, bridges, Hospitals) Sometimes legislatures pass pork-barrel legislation- when Congressmen provide money that will benefit their district and not the country as a whole When two or more lawmakers agree to support one another’s bills, it is called logrolling