1. Write an essay on the Porfiriato and the Revolution in Mexico. How did Diaz encourage economic growth? Why were many Mexicans opposed to Diaz’s rule? How did the Revolution of 1910 come about, and what role did the US play in that Revolution? What economic reforms were introduced as a result of the Revolution, and how successful were those reforms?
2. Write an essay on the Great Depression that began in 1929. How did the economic collapse begin, and why did it worsen? Discuss the various theories as to why the Depression came about. What were some of the remedies proposed to get the US and the world out of the Depression? How effective were these remedies, and how did the US and the world finally get out of the Great Depression?
3. Write an essay on Reaganomics. What were the economic goals of the Reagan administration? How did lowering taxes affect the economy? How did Reagan’s policies affect defense spending? Social welfare programs? The budget deficit?
4. Write an essay on the assigned reading, The Associates. Who developed the idea to construct the Transcontinental? How was he usurped? What role did Chinese labor play in building the Transcontinental? Were the big four really philanthropists? (Remember: I know where all the reviews of this book are!)
Essays: Please answer two the following four essay questions from options (5-8)
5. Write an essay on the economic development of Mexico, Canada, and the US, from the colonial period to the mid 19th century. What were the principal economic activities of these three colonies? How did these economies change over time? Why did these colonies break away from the European colonial system? How did independence impact on the economic growth of the three former colonies?
6. Write an essay on the economic development of the United States in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. How did independence change the economies of the US? What was the difference between Hamilton’s (Federalist) approach to economic development as opposed to Jefferson and his supporters? What role did fraud play in the economic development of the US? How did the conflict over slavery in the US become an economic issue?
7. Write an essay on the causes of the American Civil War. What were the economic factors that led to this conflict? What were the competing economic philosophies that fueled the conflict? Why was the conflict settled militarily rather than legislatively? How was the US economy transformed as a result of the Civil War?
8. Write an essay on Adam Smith and Karl Marx. In what ways did the two economists agree? What were their differences? What were their views on the Labor Theory of Value? What did Smith and Marx say about the relationship of wages and prices? How did these two economists enrich our understanding of political economy?