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New Economic Ideas Chris Anderson Randolph-Henry H. S.
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After the French Revolution, Europe seemed upside down Undergoing a transformation: From a _________________________ to ____________________________ Middle class (MC) gained lots of wealth Working class (WC) lived in squalor Lots of reformers were trying to help the WC
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“Hands Off” Reformers and owners did not agree Industrial owners thought they should control industry without government interference Believed government involvement would ___________________________ Laissez-Faire economics – Government keeps its “hands off” of industry
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Adam Smith Scottish professor 1 st to explain capitalism (what is it????) and laissez-faire economics Wrote Wealth of Nations (1776) Justified a change from mercantilism (government restriction) to a more capitalistic (government free) industry **Labor is the main source of wealth, NOT $$
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Supply and Demand: people only buy what they want or need; therefore businesses should produce what people buy With no government interference, businesses will compete to produce goods at the most inexpensive price “Invisible Hand”: the competition between businesses
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Adam Smith
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Thomas Malthus Had a pessimistic (gloomy) view of the economy English economist/preacher Wrote An Essay on the Principles of Population Growing population caused poverty (WHY??) Population was growing faster than food supply—ending in disaster Believed poverty to be unavoidable
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Thomas Malthus
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Draw the Malthusian Ceiling
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David Ricardo English banker and economists “Iron law of wages”: believed that the rising population led to more workers competing for jobs Competition for jobs kept wages low Poverty unavoidable
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Reformers Many people criticized laissez-faire economics Many want to make changes in industry 1.) William Wilberforce: British Parliamentary member Wanted to abolish slavery Make lives of the WC better
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2.) Lord Shaftsbury: Parliamentary member Wanted to reduce working hours for women and kids Both Wilberforce and Shaftsbury will get Parliament to pass laws regulating working conditions in GB – 1833: laws regulating employment of children in factories – 1842: law outlawing the use of women/kids in mines – 1847: Ten Hours Act—a 10 hour or less workday for women/kids in factories
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William WilberforceLord Shaftsbury
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3.) Jeremy Bentham: Utilitarianism—true test of any action or institution is its usefulness to society What are some institutions that are useful to society????
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4.) John Stuart Mill: Believed the government should tax people’s income to redistribute wealth
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5.) Charles Dickens: Writer Used his works to attach industrialization Do you know any of his works????
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Socialism Many believed that capitalism caused suffering Believe the struggle to make a profit caused misery Argue for socialism—workers own, manage, and control production
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Utopian Socialism: Early socialist idea Wanted to create a society where everyone shares everything
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Robert Owen: First to create a working utopia Believed competition caused suffering Cooperation would make life better
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Karl Marx German philosopher Saw Utopian socialism as impractical Degrees in history and philosophy Forced to flee Prussia to France
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Marx’s Theories: Based ideas in history, economics, and historical change History advanced through conflict, but economics was the major force At the base of every social order was production Everything in a nation developed around its economic base Most important part of the economic base was the creating of social classes
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_____________________ controlled production (Would they every give it up???) Only give up control of production through ________________________ Conflict between the different classes was inevitable and unavoidable Class struggle pushed history forward
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Marx said that Europe had experienced 4 stages of economic life: 1.) Primitive -people only produce what they need -no exploitation -tools develop, surpluses made, exploitation starts 2.) Slave -struggle between ___________ & ___________ 3.) Feudal -struggle between ___________ & ___________ 4.) Capitalist -struggle between ___________ & ___________
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Marx believed capitalism to be temporary Was he correct?????? Believed a major crisis would occur in an industrialized nation where the government would take control of the Middle Class Government would create a society where the people owned everything—no private property, no class distinction, and eventually the government would __________________
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Capitalism did not go away—still exists today Marx was wrong—lives got better for the Working Class (no need to rebel) Communism developed from Marx’s ideas
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