A Central Bank for the United States

Thomas Jefferson referred to a central bank as "a menace to the liberties of the people". Andrew Jackson vetoed the recharter of the Second Bank of the US. Alexander Hamilton had a very different view of a central bank.  After a careful reading of chapter 12, please post your comments on which of the three had the best argument either for or against a central bank and why.  As in the past, you can post comments here or send them by email.

Manufacturing Technology

After a careful reading of chapter 10, please answer the following questions:
What factors contributed most to the growth of manufacturing in the antebellum period?  Which sections of the country experienced the greatest economic gains from the technology and why?
Please post comments here or by email to me.

Transportation and Market Growth

After a careful reading of chapter 9, please answer the following questions:
What were the three most significant advances in transportation during the antebellum (pre-Civil War, 1820-1860) period?  What was their impact on the American economy?
Please post your comments here or send them to my school email.

Social Engineering in Georgia

After reading Economic Insight 3.1 on page 43, please comment on the the following: What was the primary purpose for the founding of the Georgia colony?  What were the biggest economic challenges?  What can we learn from this experiment in government social engineering?  (Should government subsidize desired economic activity?)  Please post your comments here or send me an email.

Tragedy of the Commons

Please read Perspective 3.1 on page 50 of the text regarding hunters and the depletion of the beaver population.  What was the primary cause of the depletion?  What other resources have experienced similar results?  What is the best way to prevent overuse of other common resources?  Post your responses here or by email to me.

Ryan or Obama? You decide!

Here are links to the transcipt of President Obama's deficit reduction speech from Wednesday as well as the full text of Congressman Ryan's proposal from last week. Though very different, each proposal has a direct impact on the role that the federal government will play in the economy for years to come.  After a careful review of each, please comment on which proposal will have the more positive impact on the economy and why.  Please be specific in your responses.  Since this can be a heated issue, please avoid the temptation for name-calling in your responses as this does nothing to further the debate.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/04/13/remarks-president-fiscal-policy

http://paulryan.house.gov/UploadedFiles/PathToProsperityFY2012.pdf

New View 24.1, The New Deal

Should the government be the employer of last resort? 
After a careful reading of Chapter 24 and New View 24.1, please respond to the following:
In the most recent recession, the federal government bailed out banks and auto companies and left many unemployed individuals asking "where's my bailout?"  In the Great Depression, the government created the Works Projects Administration (WPA), the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Public Works Administration with the intent to provide at least temporary employment opportunities for those unemployed.  Some of these projects provided much needed new infrastructure.  At what point should the federal government intervene in the economy (if at all) and create similar jobs?  If they do, what projects would generate the greatest long-term economic growth?