SOCIAL SCIENCES 28-05-2020

HELLO EVERYBODY!

You already know what public services are how they are funded. Today we're going to learn how the public funds are spent. That is, we're going to talk about budget.

WHAT IS BUDGET?

Budget is the amount of money that the government can spend on public services.

Presupuesto: la cantidad de dinero que un gobierno puede gastar en los servicios públicos.

One of the responsibilities that the Spanish Constitution establishes is the duty to pay taxes to support public services such as education, healthcare, public transport,  defense, culture, infrastructure (roads), sport, social services, employment etc.
WHO COLLECTS TAXES?
Public administrations such as the national government, the autonomous communities and municipalities collect taxes. They are also responsible to calculate how much public services cost and how much they can spend on them. That is, they make a budget (presupuesto).  The national government budget must be approved by the Parliament. So, the government collects money and then distributes it among the autonomous communities. 
In the chart below you can see how much each autonomous community will receive in 2020.
Which community will get the most money? and which one will get the least?

TO UNDERSTAND BETTER THE ISSUE OF PUBLIC SPENDINGS, READ ABOUT HOW THE HEALTH SERVICE IS ORGANISED IN SPAIN.

In Spain, everyone has the right to healthcare. This means that the government must provide health centres, hospitals, doctors and nurses. The government collects the money to pay for health services through taxes. But then it distributes this money to the governments of the different autonomous communities. Each community must provide a basic range of services. The government decides what these basic services should be. In addition, with the money that is left after these basic services have been paid for, the autonomous governments can decide to offer other services. The autonomous governments decide which services they think are important to offer to the people living in their community.
After you read, answer the questions. Post your anwers in the blog! (give short answers)

a) Who can use the healthcare services that the government provides?
b) Where does the money to pay for healthcare services come from?
c) Who decides what basic services will be offered?
d) Who decides what extra services will be offered?

LISTENING ACTIVITY

This pie chart represents the government's budget, that is the amount of money that the government can spend.

1. Copy this pie chart in your notebook. Listen to the audio. Identify the parts of the chart that are missing and complete it.

Click to listen to 👂➞AUDIO BUDGET
2. Answer these questions in the blog:

1. Which sector will receive the most money?

2. Which service will receive less money?

3. Will libraries have to close?

Check your answers ⟶ANSWER KEY CHART

Now I hope you're ready to take a QUIZ about Spain's Politics.
Click on the link ➨TEST UNIT 5
Don't forget to write your name! GOOD LUCK!

Tomorrow at our video class we're going to read a chat between Rami and Tomas on page 95 of your classbook. So have your classbooks at hand.
See you!

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