Scholastic Update articles from January 1996

Scholastic Update archives from January 1996

Balancing act. (creating a balanced federal budget) (includes related articles on why the deficit should be reduced and how to analyze proposed budget cuts)
January 12, 1996... On December 18, 1995, THE UNITED STATES government shut down. For the second time in two months, a "closed" sign hung outside the Statue of Liberty. Parks and museums were locked to the public. Several hundred thousand federal workers were again...

Welfare: what does the government owe the poor? (includes related articles with statistics, Republican social policy and public opinion)
January 12, 1996... For 60 years the federal government has guaranteed assistance to poor people through welfare. Now, both Republicans and Democrats agree that we must, as President Clinton has promised, change "welfare as we know it." But that's where the...

Health care: popular programs, but worth the cost? (includes related articles with statistics, public opinion and Republican views)
January 12, 1996... Since their creation in 1965, federal health-care programs have helped millions of poor and elderly Americans pay for doctor visits, medicine, immunizations, and other medical needs. But the cost of these programs has soared. Cutting the two...

Environment: how much protection can we afford? (includes related articles with statistics, public opinion and proposed changes to environmental laws)
January 12, 1996... Federal environmental regulations and spending have been under the budget microscope for a number of years, but especially since Republicans took over Congress in 1994. Many Republicans argue that current regulations are too extreme, placing too...

Education: can government make a difference? (includes related articles on public opinion, proposed cuts and statistics)
January 12, 1996... The battle over education spending isn't really about dollars and cents - it's a battle over how much control the federal government should have over America's schools. Republicans in Congress want to limit that control; President Clinton wants...

Taxes: who gets the biggest break? (includes related articles on public opinion, statistics and who gains from tax cuts)
January 12, 1996... Taxes are by far the government's largest source of revenue, The government gets more than 90 percent of its money by taxing individuals and corporations. So one obvious way to bring down the federal budget deficit would be to bring in more...

State-by-state almanac. (facts about each state; includes map)
January 12, 1996... ALABAMA The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led peaceful protests there against segregation in 1955, launching the civil rights movement. Nickname: The Heart of Dixie. Origin of Name: Named for the Alibamu Indian tribe. Entered Union: 1819....

U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. (statistical profiles)
January 12, 1996... In addition to the 50 states, the U.S. has five territories gained through conquest or treaty. Puerto Rico and Guam, for example, were captured from Spain after the Spanish-American War of 1898. Each of our territorial possessions today is...

U.S. almanac comparing state stats. (includes related article on how to read the chart of statistics)
January 12, 1996... How do conditions in your state stack up against those in the rest of the nation? Find out here. Compare - in 13 different ways - the 50 states and the District of Columbia with the U.S. average. The article on pages 26-27 will tell you what the...

U.S.A. profile.(Illustration)
January 12, 1996... U.S. AT A GLANCE Total area: 3,539,230 square miles Total population: 263,200,000 (1994) Female: 51.2% Male: 48.8% White (non-Hispanic): 75.2% Black: 12.5% Hispanic origin(1): 10.0% Asian or Pacific islander: 3.2% Native American: 0.8%...