Storified by Lyndsey Gallaway · Wed, Nov 25 2015 15:07:56
Twitter has evolved. It is no longer just a place tocommunicate with your friends but a place to express your thoughts, opinionsand views about what is really going on in this crazy world. If you would havetold me a year ago that my American Government Professor would hold class onTwitter I would have called you crazy. However someone has finally figured itout. What better way is there to learn than through social media, a form thatpeople can actually relate to rather than sitting in a boring lecture hall.This experience was one of a kind. I have never been more intrigued to learnabout the U.S. Budget Deal and the relations that are involved in it. Twitterhas allowed me to learn about the issue in a quick and effective manner opposedto watching the news or reading a lengthy complex article about it. It alsoallows for Tweeters to view the issue from many different perspectives ratherthan just one source.
When thefloodgates opened and our Twitter class began I immediately searched thehashtag #budgetdeal in the Twitter search bar. Thousands of tweets and retweetspeaked my attention as I scrolled through news feed. My first mission was tofigure out what this budget deal was really about. I came across a tweet from The White House’s official twitteraccount hoping it would give me some direct insight on the budget deal.
This tweet was exactly what I was looking for. The attachedlink led me to an abundance of creditable information on what the Budget Dealwould do.
On the forefront of this article is what you need to knowabout the budget deal. The Budget Deal will increase jobs immensely adding 500,000 jobs within the next two years. And, by providing $80 billion of sequesterrelief over the next two years, as well as additional funding, the agreementwill also allow for increased investments in key areas that support oureconomic growth now and into the future for education, job training and medicalresearch.
The Budget DealAgreement will allow for the U.S. to invest in education and Head Start, a program of the UnitedStates Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensiveearly childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement servicesto low-income children and their families. It will prevent per-studenteducation funding from falling to the low levels as seen in 2000. Withoutadditional investment, Head Start would serve roughly 2,000 fewer children thanin 2015. Job training invest is also apart of the budget deal agreement.Without this agreement, sequestration level funding would likely result in 2million fewer workers with job training and employment services compared to thePresident’s current budget. This agreement will allow for the increase ofresearch funding for the National Institutes of Health and the National ScienceFoundation. Despite the agreement, if we continue to fund at sequestrationlevels for these programs it would result in $1 billion less for these vitalinstitutions.
When further searching Twitter for thoughts on theincrease of jobs and investment techniques of the Budget Deal a few keystakeholders caught my eye. Most importantly Barack Obama the Presidenthimself. He had retweeted on his official tweeter account the tweet above from @WhiteHouse.
Democraticleader Nancy Pelosi tweeted with support for preserving the full faith andcredit of the U.S. behind this Budget Deal.
Today, we have moved America fwd: preserving the full faith & credit of the US & enacting a bipartisan #BudgetDeal → https://t.co/chfCB80khd
StenyHoyer the Democratic Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives also showed hissupport as he states that we must continue to make progress for Americans.
Y'day, House passed bipartisan #BudgetDeal that invests in our future & our country. We must continue to make progress for Americans.
Again,referring to @WhiteHouse the Budget Dealalso prevents a 50% increase in Medicare Part B premiums next year for millionsof seniors. Medicare Part B covers services and supplies that are medicallynecessary to treat health conditions. What this budget doesn’t do is balancethe budget on the backs of millions of seniors. Instead of harmful cuts toMedicare and Social Security beneficiaries like many republicans demanded, thisagreement protects and strengthens theses programs. The Bipartisan BudgetAgreement also prevents 20% cut in Social Security disability insurancebenefits to workers who’ve earned them. The agreement ensures that SocialSecurity will be able to pay full benefits without reducing benefit levels orimposing new eligibility restrictions.
Whensearching for opinions on how the budget deal prevents increases on MedicarePart B on Twitter I came across a tweet from Governor and PresidentialCandidate Mike Huckabee as he shows his support for seniors.
Instead of stealing benefits from seniors, let's protect Social Security, preserve Medicare and keep our promises to seniors. #BudgetDeal
RepresentativePatrick Murphy quote tweeted what Steny Hoyer had tweeted about making progressfor Americans and also tweeted a link to his statement about his support forthe Budget Deal specifically for seniors. Here he states, “Ourseniors helped build our country, and it is our responsibility as members ofCongress to keep our promises to them. This deal shields seniors from massivepremium hikes to Medicare Part B and painful cuts to disability insurance,restores millions in funding to vital programs like Meals on Wheels, and upholdsour promise to not cut older Americans' benefits.”
The bipartisan #BudgetDeal puts seniors first. Read my statement here → https://t.co/OjMqqZIUTd https://t.co/gng3HKMzAQ
When faced with thousands of tweets on theses issues Isteered towards accounts that were by elected officials, well-regarded newssources, or institutions that would be greatly effected by the budget deal. Iknew the creditable accounts apart from the uncreditable accounts due to thefact that most official twitters have a blue check mark obtained on theiropening page that verifies that this is the actual person or institution.
As our “class time” developed I also found stakeholdersthrough my classmates as well as other issues brought up by the Budget Deal. Itwas detrimental to our social media learning experience that we view theopinions of our classmates during this time because many were different from myown and seeing their side gave me a new perspective of the issue. Even thoughthere were many stakeholders to bash the budget deal such as Neil Cavuto ananchor for Fox Business Network who felt that the Budget Deal would not beworth the rise in national debt.
As our “class time” developed I also found stakeholdersthrough my classmates as well as other issues brought up by the Budget Deal. Itwas detrimental to our social media learning experience that we view theopinions of our classmates during this time because many were different from myown and seeing their side gave me a new perspective of the issue. Even thoughthere were many stakeholders to bash the budget deal such as Neil Cavuto ananchor for Fox Business Network who felt that the Budget Deal would not beworth the rise in national debt.
I still believe the benefits of the Budget Deal outweigh its counterparts. In the end the Budget Deal was passed in reflect of the promising work between both Democrats and Republicans in congress who were willing to come together to break the cycle of indecisiveness is order to make anagreement that would create jobs, support the middle class, and deliver astrong economy for our future generations.
Stakeholders
1. Barack Obama
2. White House Official Twitter
3. Ted Cruz
4. Center for Women in Politics
5. Social Security
6. CNN
7. The Associated Press
8. Washington Journal
9. AARP
10. David Wessel
11. Brit Hume
12. Neil Cavuto
13. Steny Hoyer
14. Mike Lee
15. Mackenzie Eaglen
16. NARFE Headquarters
17. Federal Network
18. PPG Partners LLC.
19. Judy Woodruff
20. Heritage Action
21. National Journal
22. NBC Business News
23. David Young
24. NYT Politics
25. Senator Hatch
26. Governor Mike Huckabee
27. Representative PatrickMurphy
28. The Democrats Official Twitter
29. John Kerry
30. U.S. Capitol
31. Paul Ryan
32. Jeb Bush
33. Bill Nelson
34. Senator Tammy Baldwin
35. Bill Clinton
36. UNICEF
37. Planned Parenthood
38. Marco Rubio
39. House of RepresentativesOfficial Twitter
40. NRA
41. Donald Trump
42. Joe Biden
43. Department of State OfficialTwitter
44. Hillary Clinton
45. U.S. Department of Defense
46. Wall Street Journal
47. Bernie Sanders
48. Nancy Pelosi
49. John Boehner
50. Senator Patty Murray
