Questions -

1. Give another example of checks and balances. Be sure to explain which branches are involved and why this example is important in making sure neither branch involved abuses its powers.

2. In order for you to be an informed voter, you must be familiar with the candidates who you are going to vote for, and the issues that will appear on the ballot. This requires a little bit of research. For this project you'll be researching and preparing a presentation about your local representative in Congress.

Follow these steps:

• Choose a senator from your state, or your district's representative to the House of Representatives. Remember, we are examining the national level Congress, not your state representatives.
• Research and find information about this individual. You'll want information about his/her biographical background, level of education, previous career, other political offices held, political party, voting record, stance of major issues, Congressional committees he/she is part of, etc.
• Create a PowerPoint presentation or a website with this information. Be sure to include graphics and color to make the presentation visually appealing as well as informative.

3. As we have discussed, the most fundamental study of economics must address the issue of needs vs. wants and the consideration of available resources in making choices. Talk about a recent purchase you or your family made that required you to make a choice between a need and a want.

This situation may deal with you personally or with your family as a whole. If you have not made any personal purchases in the last few months, ask one of your parents (or another adult) to share with you a purchase they made and the reasons why they chose the product they purchased over another product. Share with the class the scenario by discussing the item purchased, the other items that were considered, and the reasons the item purchased was chosen over the others.

4. Did you know that in times of war the government can decide to distribute certain resources and limit their distribution to the public? Ask any of your neighbors, friends, or relatives who may have lived through World War II. During that time, the government often rationed certain resources such as gas, steel, and food. The reasoning was that these items were needed to support the war overseas. For instance, steel was needed to make important weapons and ammunition.

In at least one well-developed paragraph, explain your opinion on the ability of government to distribute important resources. Does such action on the part of the government infringe on the rights of Americans? Do you think it is important that national security come first over the needs and wants of the public at large? Be sure to provide logical reasoning to support your opinion.

5. "The Best Things in Life are Free" is a song written by B.G. DeSylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson for the musical Good News which opened on September 6, 1927 in the 46th Street Theater in New York City. It played for 557 performances. A movie version was produced in 1930 and remade in 1947. A movie musical, The Best Things in Life Are Free, based on the careers of the songwriters, was made in 1956.

The song's lyrics imply that love and marriage are costless:

The moon belongs to everyone

The best things in life are free,

The stars belong to everyone

They gleam there for you and me.

The flowers in Spring,

The robins that sing,

The sunbeams that shine

They're yours,

They're mine!

And love can come to everyone,

The best things in life are free.

Go back and re-read the lyrics of "The Best Things in Life are Free." Do you agree with the song's sentiments? Are the best things in life free? Explain your answer in one well-developed paragraph. Be sure to use examples to support your opinion.

Consider the costs of any choice that a married couple makes; the choice the two of them together decide upon may be very different than the choice each partner would have made if he or she were not married. These costs are called 'opportunity costs.' For instance, a single person may choose a small one-bedroom apartment that has a low rent. A married couple may need a bigger place to live and will probably purchase a house at some point-one that comes with a large monthly mortgage payment. Another example might include how the couple chooses to spend their holidays. A single person would have a considerably easier time choosing to spend time with family or friends whereas married people must choose between two (or more) family sets and might have to choose whether to travel or stay at home.

Considering such choices of married couples vs. those who are single, in your opinion, what is wrong with applying the statement "The best things in life are free" to the topics of love and marriage? Explain your answer in one well-developed paragraph. Be sure to use examples to support your opinion.