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The Debt Debate -- A 3rd Grade Lesson Plan

August 03, 2011 – Comments (3)

I was trying to think of a good analogy to the debt ceiling/deficit reduction debat this morning (because these are the things I think about while bored, ugh) and I thought this was fitting. Here is how I would explain the debate to a 3rd grade class. 

Playing the role of the Tea Party is the boss and playing the role of President Obama is the employee.  

Setting the scene: The boss needs a 20% improvement in this employee's productivity for the business to survive (assume productivity improvement - raise = business improvement), but the boss has promised the board of directors he will not give any raises this year. 

Boss calls employee into the office for a meeting. 

Boss: I'm going to need you to work 25% more this year than you did last year or the business will go under.

Employee: What do I get out of this?

Boss: You'll collect the same pay check you did last year.

Employee: But I'm barely scraping by at home. I can work more but I need a raise.

Boss: No.

Employee: How about I work 20% more for a 10% raise?

Boss: No.  

Employee: 20% more for a 5% raise?

Boss: No.

Employee:25% more for a 5% raise?

Boss: No.

Employee: My final offer -- I will work 30% more for a 5% raise.

Boss: Get the hell out of my office. You're fired. 

The boss is forced to hire a worker who will work 10% more than the previous worker for the same pay and a few months later the business is bankrupt. 

Teacher: See how there were two offers made that would have kept the business afloat but because of a promise made to the board the boss was unwilling to give ANY raise. Does this made any sense if you want the business to survive? 

Kids: No 

And this is how I explain the debt debate to a 3rd grade class.  

Travis Hoium

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