1.  What is Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn's "Wastebook"?

2.  How much government spending does Sen. Coburn highlight in his 2012 Wastebook as being especially wasteful?

3.  a) Define deficit as used in the article (budget deficit).
b)  What is the U.S. federal deficit for the fiscal year 2012?

4.  a) List at least 5 examples of wasteful government spending from Sen. Coburn's Wastebook 2012.
b)  What does Sen. Coburn identify as the biggest waste of taxpayer money in 2012? Why?

5.  Despite the deficit, the president and Congress have not cut much of their spending.  Why not?

6.  What is the role of the federal government?

7.  Look over the list of examples from Sen. Coburn's Wastebook again.  Watch the videos under "Resources" below.  The projects and programs approved for funding generally depend on who is in office.  Should the government fund these projects using taxpayer dollars or should private funding be raised to fund these projects?  Explain your answer.