Class Questions for Readings, November 11th

Questions from  Pieter Dudley

Article 11:  The Great Leap Backwards

1.    China plans to relocate 400 million people to newly developed urban centers between 2000 and 2030, erecting half of all the buildings expected to be constructed in the world during that period. Chinese buildings are highly energy inefficient, two-thirds less so than buildings in Germany. What must China do to combat an inevitable skyrocketing of energy consumption and pollution? (p. 50)

2.    China has the fourth-largest freshwater resources in the world, however they still encounter serious shortage and contamination issues. What must China do, and what have they begun to do to overcome these serious problems? (p. 50-51)

3.    In what ways are China’s aspirations for economic growth creating obstacles for their environmental goals? (p. 55)


Questions from Samantha Nestor

Article 35:  The Grameen Bank

1) In the article on page 153 the author asks,"will poverty still be with us 50 years from now?" How would you respond to this question?

2) With success of the Grameen Bank and similar models in other countries,do you think that banks will change their minds about lending money to the impoverished?

3) Do you think the promotion of self employment that these banks endorse, will help to solve the problem of poverty?

International Futures

Questions from  Joe Pramer

Chapter  10  Domestic Social and Political Systems

1.    According to the authors and referring to the graph of page 164, what was one of the main contributing factors that allowed the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the portion of the global population living in absolute poverty to be very close to the goal line between 1990 and 2002? (163)

2.    Why is the achievement of universal primary education for those of the appropriate age such an important goal? (163-164)

3.    On page 170, the authors argue that “there is a close relationship between economic and social change.”  In what ways is a growing economy beneficial to society?

4.   What is the difference between a "life condition" and  a "social organization condition"?

5.   How are social organization conditions generally related to GDP per capita?  "Steady Slog" of "Sweet Spot"?  Explain.

6.  How are life conditions generally related to GDP per capita?  "Steady Slog" of "Sweet Spot"?  Explain.
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Questions from  Lesley Martin

Jeffrey Sachs, Common Wealth

Chapter  9  The Strategy of Economic Development

1.    On page 206, Sachs states that there are four hurdles that an economy much surmount in order to mobilize a new technology.  What are those four hurdles and what needs to be done after these hurdles are recognized?

2.    What are the characteristics of subsistence economy? (on page 209)

3.    What are the three steps that countries need to take before becoming high-income countries? 

4.    What are the different types of geographic factors that can affect of the function of a country’s economy? (page 213-217)  

5.    Think of the geopraphical conditions common to your particular country.  Does your country have a particular geographical condition that might affect its chances for development in a positive or negative way?  

5.    One of Sach’s headings is ‘Geography is not Destiny.’ What are some of his arguments? (page 218)

6.  Look at the Table Below.  What are the 4 steps on the "Ladder of Development"?  How are each of these steps related to the piecharts you made in Exercise 5 of "Production by Sector"?  How is each "step" related to a particular "sector" gaining a higher percentage of all production?