1. How is the health care reform bill passed on March 21. 2010 an extension of New Deal policies? How would Franklin Roosevelt have felt about this program?
2. During the Great Depression, those on the right said that the programs were too broad, invited too much government intervention into the economy, and requires taxes that actually restricted economic growth. Those on the left claimed that the programs did not extend far enough, benefited some groups at the cost of others, and failed to redistribute wealth. Which critics were correct and why?
3. Who benefited the most from New Deal policies? Who was left out of New Deal Reforms?
4. What was Eleanor Roosevelt's role in the New Deal?
5. If you had to come up with a three pronged approach to the current recession, what types of programs would you institute in order to achieve relief, recovery, and reform?
6. Did Congress or President Roosevelt act unconstitutionally in their law making process when they constructed the New Deal? Did the imminent economic crisis make this type of activity necessary and proper?
Monday, March 22, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Questions for 3/10
1. What social effects arise out of bad economic conditions? Which of these are good and which are bad? What can the government or private organizations do to alleviate some of these effects?
2. In an economic crisis, should people seek help from the government, private industry, or charitable organizations? Why? If the government has a responsibility to interfere in the economy, is it the responsibility of the state or national government? WHy?
3. Can the government and/or the federal reserve prevent economic disaster? If so, why haven't they gotten it right so far?
4. Who is to blame for the Great Depression? Why?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Blogs for the Week of February 22
1. What were the main causes of the Great Depression? How are these causes similar to or different from the causes of our most recent economic downturn?
2. Who is responsible for the Great Depression? What role was played by banks, corporations, consumers, farmers, the federal reserve bank, and the federal government? Who is responsible for the most current economic downturn? Why?
3. What responsibility does the federal government have in regulating the economy and preventing economic disaster? Is federal regulation of the economy good or bad overall?
4. A great man (Dr. Jim Butkewicz) once said that some people argue that the Fed makes the "booms boomier and the busts bustier....." DO you believe this to be true? Why or why not?
5. Can we blame the President of the United States for poor economic performance? Can we give the president credit when the economy performs well?
2. Who is responsible for the Great Depression? What role was played by banks, corporations, consumers, farmers, the federal reserve bank, and the federal government? Who is responsible for the most current economic downturn? Why?
3. What responsibility does the federal government have in regulating the economy and preventing economic disaster? Is federal regulation of the economy good or bad overall?
4. A great man (Dr. Jim Butkewicz) once said that some people argue that the Fed makes the "booms boomier and the busts bustier....." DO you believe this to be true? Why or why not?
5. Can we blame the President of the United States for poor economic performance? Can we give the president credit when the economy performs well?
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Sample Imperialism DBQ
Early American Imperialism, marked by American intervention into Latin America, created an environment in which the influence of the United States over other countries could flourish. As a result of the Spanish-American War, the United States was able to establish military control over new territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific. In Central America, the construction of the Panama canal reinforced Theodore Roosevelt's corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, establishing a strong military and commercial presence in the region. These early experiments in American imperialism created conflict within the United States as Americans debated the positive and negative effects these actions would have on the development of the United States. Overall, America's intervention into the Caribbean and Latin America created opportunity for the United States to become a major player on the world stage.
Vital to the establishment of an American empire, the Spanish-American War resulted in the addition of four territories to the holdings of the United States. An outgrowth of a Cuban Revolution against Spanish rule, the four month conflict was fueled by media speculation and sensationalism. Explosions aboard the U.S.S. Maine, depicted in an 1898 drawing published in The World (Document 1), allowed the media to trump up charges against the Spanish and to inspire the American public to call for war. Brief and successful, the conflict glorified American Imperialism and created war heroes, like Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, memorialized in Frederic Remington's piece, "The Charge up San Juan Hill" in 1901 (Document 2). At the close of the war with Spain, the United States took possession of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam; and American influence spread swiftly throughout Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. A cartoon in the Minneapolis Journal of July 4, 1896 (Document 3) depicts this process as akin to a fuse, lighting explosives in many parts of the world. Emboldened by her successes, the United States reached even more deeply into Latin American commerce and politics.
Theodore Roosevelt sought to realize the long-held dream of easing international trade by constructing a canal through a thin strip of land separating the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Using the American military, Roosevelt assisted in the Panamanian Revolution, securing access to the land necessary to construct the canal. A remarkable feat of engineering, the canal required a system of locks, shown in Document Set 4, to move ships between the disparate elevation of the two oceans. This process was costly in money and lives, a fact reflected in the cartoon published in the "Ohio State Journal on March 1903 (document 5). Depicting a proud Uncle Sam straddling the isthmus of Panama, the cartoon laments huge payments to the Colombians and the forcefulness of the treaty required to secure the Panama Route. Trade between Europe and the West Coast of the United States was tremendously eased by the completion of the canal, and the United States was able to establish a permanent military presence to protect its interests in Central America. Brooks Adams, in The New Empire, explained, "With the completion of the Panama Canal, all Central America will become part of our system (Document 6)." American experiences with intervention into foreign affairs brought swift benefits for the growth of both the American economy and American military power; but these successes cost dearly.
Imperialism, for the America of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, was a double-edges sword. Territorial expansion allowed for American influence to reach other continents while improved trade brought wealth to growing American markets. Militarily, the power of the United States was enhanced by its physical and economic expansion, and countries that had struggled for years under oppressive governments were exposed to American democratic concepts. Echoing the sentiment of the American public, Brooks Adams wrote in 1902, "The United States will outweigh any single empire, if not all empires combined. The whole world will pay her tribute. Commerce will flow to her from both East and West, and the order which has existed from the dawn of time will be reversed (Document 6)." However, in building an empire and controlling the politics of foreign peoples, the United States turned its back on its own founding principles, especially those of equality and self-determination. Senator Albert Beveridge reinvigorated the British imperialist claim that it was the White Man's Burden to civilize the people of the world (Document 7). Burdens of managing the newly established empire included the cost of maintaining a large and well-equipped Navy, the danger of creating enemies abroad, and the ideological inconsistencies of subjugating foreign peoples while attempting to uphold Liberal values. Overall, the period of American imperialism, though costly, established the United States as a political, economic, and cultural powerhouse in the international community.
When the American public pushed for intervention into the Cuban Revolution in 1898, it could not have known the far reaching impact of that decision. Like a butterfly reaching out of its cocoon for the first time, the United States stretched its wings over Latin America and the Pacific. Expanding into island territories, easing and protecting trade routes, and influencing the politics of other nations allowed turn-of-the century America to compete with the powers of Europe.
Vital to the establishment of an American empire, the Spanish-American War resulted in the addition of four territories to the holdings of the United States. An outgrowth of a Cuban Revolution against Spanish rule, the four month conflict was fueled by media speculation and sensationalism. Explosions aboard the U.S.S. Maine, depicted in an 1898 drawing published in The World (Document 1), allowed the media to trump up charges against the Spanish and to inspire the American public to call for war. Brief and successful, the conflict glorified American Imperialism and created war heroes, like Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, memorialized in Frederic Remington's piece, "The Charge up San Juan Hill" in 1901 (Document 2). At the close of the war with Spain, the United States took possession of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam; and American influence spread swiftly throughout Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. A cartoon in the Minneapolis Journal of July 4, 1896 (Document 3) depicts this process as akin to a fuse, lighting explosives in many parts of the world. Emboldened by her successes, the United States reached even more deeply into Latin American commerce and politics.
Theodore Roosevelt sought to realize the long-held dream of easing international trade by constructing a canal through a thin strip of land separating the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Using the American military, Roosevelt assisted in the Panamanian Revolution, securing access to the land necessary to construct the canal. A remarkable feat of engineering, the canal required a system of locks, shown in Document Set 4, to move ships between the disparate elevation of the two oceans. This process was costly in money and lives, a fact reflected in the cartoon published in the "Ohio State Journal on March 1903 (document 5). Depicting a proud Uncle Sam straddling the isthmus of Panama, the cartoon laments huge payments to the Colombians and the forcefulness of the treaty required to secure the Panama Route. Trade between Europe and the West Coast of the United States was tremendously eased by the completion of the canal, and the United States was able to establish a permanent military presence to protect its interests in Central America. Brooks Adams, in The New Empire, explained, "With the completion of the Panama Canal, all Central America will become part of our system (Document 6)." American experiences with intervention into foreign affairs brought swift benefits for the growth of both the American economy and American military power; but these successes cost dearly.
Imperialism, for the America of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, was a double-edges sword. Territorial expansion allowed for American influence to reach other continents while improved trade brought wealth to growing American markets. Militarily, the power of the United States was enhanced by its physical and economic expansion, and countries that had struggled for years under oppressive governments were exposed to American democratic concepts. Echoing the sentiment of the American public, Brooks Adams wrote in 1902, "The United States will outweigh any single empire, if not all empires combined. The whole world will pay her tribute. Commerce will flow to her from both East and West, and the order which has existed from the dawn of time will be reversed (Document 6)." However, in building an empire and controlling the politics of foreign peoples, the United States turned its back on its own founding principles, especially those of equality and self-determination. Senator Albert Beveridge reinvigorated the British imperialist claim that it was the White Man's Burden to civilize the people of the world (Document 7). Burdens of managing the newly established empire included the cost of maintaining a large and well-equipped Navy, the danger of creating enemies abroad, and the ideological inconsistencies of subjugating foreign peoples while attempting to uphold Liberal values. Overall, the period of American imperialism, though costly, established the United States as a political, economic, and cultural powerhouse in the international community.
When the American public pushed for intervention into the Cuban Revolution in 1898, it could not have known the far reaching impact of that decision. Like a butterfly reaching out of its cocoon for the first time, the United States stretched its wings over Latin America and the Pacific. Expanding into island territories, easing and protecting trade routes, and influencing the politics of other nations allowed turn-of-the century America to compete with the powers of Europe.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Thoughts and Questions for Those Posting on October 28
1. What are the costs and benefits of living in a city? Is city living worth all of the hassle?
2. The United States has one of the most mobile populations in the Western world. People move from city to city, state to state, and region to region easily when motivated by economic factors. Americans move when they have lost their jobs, gotten better jobs, or when industries shift. Is this positive or negative for the United States in the long run?
3. The late nineteenth century marked the United States government's first foray into the regulation of industries with the Interstate Commerce Act. Since then, the government has regulated labor laws, food and drugs, environmental conditions, and a bevy of other economic issues. Should the United States government take over healthcare in the United States? To what extent should the US government regulate healthcare? Should it set rules and guidelines for employers, healthcare providers, and insurance companies? Should it provide Americans a "public option" in which the US government becomes a health insurer for some Americans who lack quality insurance? Should it take over all helath insurance and cover care for all Americans using tax dollars? (This is a big debate in Congress right now, so look at some news and take a stance. :) Then you can watch CSPAN!!)
4. One of the biggest problems of the turn of the century was the huge divide between rich and poor. There was no such thing as a national welfare program and state programs were corrupt and inadequate. What, if anything, do the wealthy owe to the poor? What, if anything, should the government do to help equalize differences between the rich and poor? How effective have programs in the United States been in equalizing these differences?
5. One of the innovations of the turn of the century was the introduction of free public education, provided by tax dollars and available to all children. How has this innovation helped the United States? What are the successes and failures of public education? How could public education be improved?
2. The United States has one of the most mobile populations in the Western world. People move from city to city, state to state, and region to region easily when motivated by economic factors. Americans move when they have lost their jobs, gotten better jobs, or when industries shift. Is this positive or negative for the United States in the long run?
3. The late nineteenth century marked the United States government's first foray into the regulation of industries with the Interstate Commerce Act. Since then, the government has regulated labor laws, food and drugs, environmental conditions, and a bevy of other economic issues. Should the United States government take over healthcare in the United States? To what extent should the US government regulate healthcare? Should it set rules and guidelines for employers, healthcare providers, and insurance companies? Should it provide Americans a "public option" in which the US government becomes a health insurer for some Americans who lack quality insurance? Should it take over all helath insurance and cover care for all Americans using tax dollars? (This is a big debate in Congress right now, so look at some news and take a stance. :) Then you can watch CSPAN!!)
4. One of the biggest problems of the turn of the century was the huge divide between rich and poor. There was no such thing as a national welfare program and state programs were corrupt and inadequate. What, if anything, do the wealthy owe to the poor? What, if anything, should the government do to help equalize differences between the rich and poor? How effective have programs in the United States been in equalizing these differences?
5. One of the innovations of the turn of the century was the introduction of free public education, provided by tax dollars and available to all children. How has this innovation helped the United States? What are the successes and failures of public education? How could public education be improved?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Thoughts and Questions for those posting on 10/21
1. Should immigration into the United States be limited? Why or why not?
2. Why have Americans always been afraid of certain groups of immigrants? Are there legitimate economic, social, or political reasons to fear people from outside the United States?
3. How have the problems of the city led to political reform? Has this political reform been positive or negative in the long run?
4. Should the United States government regulate economic activity? What are the benefits of this regulation? What are the costs?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Thoughts and Questions for those posting on 10/14
1. What factors pushed people out of other countries and into American cities at the turn of the century? Were these problems solved by relocation to the cities?
2. What are the benefits of living in a city? What are the costs or dangers associated with living in a city? How have these changed over time? In your opinion, is it more beneficial to live in a city, s suburb, or a rural area?
3. What factors pushed people off of farms and into American cities at the turn of the century? Were these problems solved by relocation to the cities?
4. How did technology change the lives of average Americans at the turn of the century? Has technology done more to change your life or the lives of those who lived at the turn of the century?
5. How did working together in trusts, unions, or political parties change the American economy at the turn of the century? Which changes were positive and which were negative? Should American businesses be prohibited from forming a trust? Should workers be prohibited from forming a union?
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