英语国家-美国概况教案03 American Economy

LectureThreeAmericanEconomy(byKongLingyu)Thefocusofteaching:thefactorsleadtoAmerica’squickeconomicdevelopmentTeachingaim:letthestudentsknowthegeneralknowledgeofAmericaneconomicsystemTeachingstyle:instructionandgroupdiscussionTeachingprocedure:1.warming-upexercisesGeneralintroductionofAmericaneconomybyPowerPoint;3.Discussionontheassignment;4.Assignmentoninformation-gatheringWarming-upexercises:discussthefollowingthreequestions:Whataretheimportantfactorsthatleadtoanation’squickeconomicdevelopment?WhydoyouthinkAmericaneconomyissosuccessful?Whatistheproperroleofthegovernmentinanation’seconomicdevelopment?=1\*ROMANI.TheEconomicSystemoftheUnitedStatesTheUnitedStatesisthebestexampleofacapitalistmarketeconomy.However,althoughthereisaheavyrelianceonthemarketmechanismtoallocateresources,itcannotbesaidthattheUnitesStatesconformstothemodelofapurefreeenterprisemarketeconomy.Manychangeshaveoccurredovertimeasgovernmenthassoughttomodifytheworkingofthefreemarket.PrivateEnterprisePrivateenterpriseisoneofthebasicinstitutionsoftheU.S.economy.Thereisverylittlegovernmentownershipofindustry.Anyonewithanideaandcapitalisfreetostarthisorherownbusiness.TheUnitedStatesconsistsofsomeverylargecorporationsandhundredsofthousandsofsmallerones.LargecorporationsManyindustrieswereconcentratedinthehandsofafewfirmsintheU.S..Thetrendtowardindustrialconcentrationbeganinthe1920s.corporatelargenesswasstimulatedbythechangesthatwereoccurredintheeconomy,inparticularthemassproductionofautomobiles.Worldwaralsocontributedtothetrendtowardslargeness.LargecorporationsproducedtheairplanesandtanksusedbytheUnitedStatesanditsalliesinthewar.Duringthe1960sand1970sthetendincreased,facilitatedbyanewtypeofmergercalledtheconglomeratemerger.SmallEnterprisesTherearealsothousandsofsmallandmedium-sizedbusinessfirms.TheyprovideemploymentforthemajorityoftheU.S.workersaswellasmuchoftheinnovationnecessaryfortheinternationalcompetitiveness.Thenumberofsmallcompaniesisincreasingasaresultofthedownsizingofbigcorporationsaswellasthequickdevelopmentofsmallfamily-ownedcompaniesbyusingnewtechnologies.GovernmentFormanyyears,theideapersistedthatthegovernmentofacapitalistsystemshouldnotfollowapolicyofLaissez-faire.Theideawasbasedontheconceptofnaturalliberty.Eachindividualwasassumedtobeamoreorlessrationalhumanbeingandbetterjudgeofhisorherwoninterestthananygovernmentcouldbe.Inthenaturalorderofthings,people’spursuitsoftheirowninterestswouldbenefitothersaswell.Governmenthasalimitedroletoplayinthesociety.However,ithasbeenrealizedthattheinstitutionsofcapitalismareman-made,nottheproductofsomenaturalorder.Intheoperationofacapitalisteconomy,economicandsocialproblemscannotbesolvedbyindividuals.U.S.governmentinterventionintheeconomyincreasedthemostduringtheDepressionofthe1930sandWorldWar=2\*ROMANII.Governmentundertookmassivepublicworksprogramsandthecompleteoverhaulandregulationofbankinghelptotheeconomytorecover.InthepostwaryearsgovernmentinvolvementwasagainemphasizedwhentheU.S.adoptedtheKeynesiantheory.However,bytheendofthe1970s,economicgrowthhaddecreased.Inthe1980s,undertheReganAdministration,thetraditionalKeynesianapproachedwasreplacedagainbynewmonetaristpolices,whichsoughttofightinflationbyincreasingsupplyandreducingdemand.TheappropriateroleofgovernmentintheU.S.economyhasbecomeanimportantsubject.=2\*ROMANII.NaturalResourcesFertilesoilFertilesoilisoneofthemostimportantnaturalresourcesintheUnitedStates.Therichsoilsoftheinteriorplainsproducescropsofwheatandcorn.ForestAmericanforestresourcesareamongtheworld’slargest.SoftwoodforestincludingvaluablewhitepinesarefoundintheeastandtallandgiantredwoodtreesandDougalasfirsarefoundintheeastandtallandgiantredwoodtreesandDouglassfirsarefoundthroughoutthecoastrangesofthePacific.Forestaccountfor31%ofthetotalland.WaterAnothernaturalresourcesthatcontributetothewelfareofthecountryiswater.Agriculturecandependonnaturalrainfallwestwardtothe100thmeridianandalsointhePacificNorthwest.TheMississippiandotherriversprovideexcellentinlandwaterresources.TodaytheriversandstreamsofAmericanfurnish63%ofthewatersupplyforcities,townsandinlands,93%ofthewaterusedbyindustriesandalmostallofthewaterusedtogenerateelectricity.MineralsTheUnitedStatsisrichinmostofthemineralsneededtosupplyitsbasicindustries.MineralresourcesoftheUnitesStatesarewelldeveloped.Coal,ironore,copper,oil,sulfur,lead,andzincarefoundinlargequantities.TheUnitedStatesisamongtheworldleadersintheproductionofalltheseminerals.Otherminerals,suchasuranium,goldandsilver,potashandbuildingstone,arealsofoundinlargequantitiesintheUnitedStates.=3\*ROMANIII.AmericanAgricultureThevarietyofclimateandtopographyoftheUnitedStatesmakesitpossibleforthepeopletogrowmanykindsofcrops.TheUnitedStatesproducesnearly50%ofthecornintheworld.Cornisgrownineverystate.ButtheCornBelt,wheremostcornisgrown,isintheMidwest.TheCornBelt,wheremostcornisgrown,isintheMidwest.TheCornBeltstretchesfromOhiotoeasternSouthDakota,Nebraska,andKansas.ItcoversnorthernMissouri,southwesternMinnesota,andalmostallofIowa,Indiana,andIllinois.WheatisAmerica’smostimportantfoodcrop.Itissecondonlytocorninproductioneveryyear.TheWheatBeltislocatedneartheCornBeltintheMidwest.Twomaintypesofwheataregrown—springwheatandwinterwheat.CornisaleadingcommercialcropintheSouth.TheCottonBeltfollowstheCoastalPlainfromsouthernVirginiatoTexasandpartsofthesouthernPiedmont.AreasofheavycottonproductionarefoundalongtheMississippiLowlandandineasternTexas.Americaistheworld’sbiggestproduceranduseroftobacco.ItisgrownmainlyinthePiedmont,ontheCoastalPlainbetweenVirginiaandFlorida,andintheKentuckyandTennesseewestoftheAppalachians.TheGreatPlainsareagreatanimalfarmingarea.Animalfarminghereiscalledranching,thefarmersherecalledranchers,andtheworkersarecalledranchhands.Theranchersarebig.Thesmallestisabout6,000hectares,andthebiggestisabout50,000hectares.DairyfarmingcanbefoundinNewEngland,theMidwest,andthePacificNorthwest.TheDairyBeltintheMidwestcoversalmostallofMichiganandWisconsinandpartsofMinnesotaandIowa.Wisconsinisthenation’sleadingdairystate.MilkistheDairyBelt’smostimportantproduct.TheSouthisoneofAmerica’sleadingproducersofcitrusfruits.Oranges,lemons,grapefruits,andotherkindsofcitrusfruitaregrowninthegreatCentralValleyofCalifornia,andinthevalleysofWashingtonandOregonintheNorthwest.Americanagricultureishighlymechanized.Machinesareusedtodoalmostallthefarmwork.Withmodernequipmentafarmercanmanage200ormorehectareswithouthelp.IntheAmericanSouthonemechanicalcottonpickercandotheworkoffortymen.ItnotsurprisingtothattheUnitedStatesgrowsnearlyonefourthoftheworld’sgrainandsuppliesahalfofalltheexportsofgrainintheworldwiththecultivatedlandmakingup21%ofthetotallandandwithpeopleengagedinfarmingmakinguponly2.7%ofthetotalpopulation.=4\*ROMANIV.AmericanIndustryTheUnitedStatesranksfirst,second,thirdorfourthintheworldintheproductionofcrudesteel,passengercars,commercialvehicles,chemicals,radiosets,televisionsets,andothermanufacturinggoods.TheindustrialregionsoftheUnitedStatescanbefoundnearimportantlandorwaterroutes,andrichmineraldeposits.TheyaretheMidwestroundtheGreatLakes,theMiddlesAtlanticstates,theSouth,andthePacificCoast.TheMidwestisthenation’sleadingcenterofheavyindustry.Itismostimportantintheproductionofmotorvehiclesandothertransportationequipment,nonelectricalmachinery,andfabricatedmetals.ThecitiesoftheMidwestarenextdoortotheplentifulcoaldepositsoftheAppalachianHighlands.IronoredepositsarefoundintheMesabiRangeinthenorthernMinnesotaandinthenearbyareasinnorthernWisconsinandMichigan.WithLakesuperioronlyashortdistanceaway,thecitiesoftheMidwesthaveeasyaccesstobothcoalandironore.TheMiddleAtlanticStatesarehighlyindustrialized.Chemicals,machinery,electricalequipment,textiles,andmetalgoodsofallkindsareonlyafewoftheproductsmanufacturedinthesesixstates.Thesuccessofthisregioncanbeattributedtothefollowingreasons.First,theMiddleAtlanticstateshavebenefitedfromtheirlocationatorneartheAtlanticOcean.Becausetheyweresettledanddevelopedearly,theywereabletoemploymanyoftheskilledworkerswhowenttherefromEuropeduringthelastcentury.Besides,asthetransportationandshippingfacilitiesimproved,theMiddleAtlanticStatesfounditeasytoobtainrawmaterialsfromalmosteverypartofthecountryandworld.Secondly,thecoalandpetroleumdepositsoftheAppalachianHighlandsprovideacheapandconvenientsourceofpower.TheAmericanSouthisanewlydevelopedindustrialregion.TheSouth’sleadingindustriesarethosethatmakeuseoftheabundantsupplyofnaturalresourcesandrawmaterials.Textileisquitedevelopedinthesouthbecauseofitscheaplabor.Depositsofcoal,limestone,andironinAlabamahaveledtothegrowthoftheSouth’sironandsteelindustry.OilrefineryisanindustryofgreatimportanceinTexas,Louisiana,andOklahoma.AgreatpetrochemicalindustryhasdevelopedontheGulfCoastbetweenHoustonandBeaumont.Houstonisthecenterofpetrochemicalandsyntheticrubberproductionaswellasthehomeofthespacecenter.ThePacificCoasthasexperiencedrapidgrowth.ThestateofCalifornianowhaspassedNewYorkasthemostpopulousstate.Itisnowfirstinmanufacturingandship-buildingaswellasinfoodproduction.LosAngeles,thePacificCoast’slargestandbusiestcommercialcityandthesecondlargestcityinpopulationintheUnitedStates,islocatedintheheartofarichagricultureandoil-producingregion.SanFrancisco,thesecondlargescityinCalifornia,isinanexcellentpositiontotradewiththeFarEastandtheislandsofPacific.V.ForeignTradeTheUnitedStatessuppliesalargeshareoftheimportsintheworld.CurrentlyU.S.exportsabout15%oftheworld’stotal.Theleadinggroupsofproductsforexportsareindustrial,electrical,agricultural,andofficemachines;householdappliancesandothermachinery;transportationandcommunicationequipment;chemicals;textiles—chieflythoseofman-madefiversandcotton;metalmanufactures;petroleumproducts;paperandotherproductsmadefromwood;tobaccomanufactures;rubberproducts.TheUnitedStatesimportsabout13%ofallworldimports.Itisheavilydependentonforeignsourcesforanumberofessentialprimaryproducts,suchastin,manganese,crudepetroleum,nickelandbauxite.ManyofU.S.industriesarebuiltaroundacontinuoussupplyofessentialrawmaterials.=6\*ROMANVI.FactorsThatContributedtotheFastGrowthofAmericanEconomyFirst,thegeographicallocationoftheUnitedStatesprovidesverygoodconditionsforthecountrytogrowandbecomestrong.Second,theUnitedStateshasbeenblessedbybeingalandrichinmineralresourcesandfertilefarmsoil,togetherwithamoderateclimate.Third,Americahasbeenfortunateinhavingenoughpeopletoprovidethelabornecessaryforaconstantlyexpandingeconomy.Forth,theUnitedStateshasaskillfulandwillinglabourforce.=7\*ROMANVII.ProblemsintheU.S.EconomyFirst,themajorproblemconfrontingtheU.S.economyisitslowrateofsavings.ThelackofsavingshascontributedtotheproblemofU.S.economyinthatitreducedtheamountofmoneyavailableforcapitalformation,increasedthecostofborrowingandmadetheUnitedStatesmoredependentonoutsideincomesources.Second,therealincomesofthegreatmassofworkershavebeendeclining,andincomeinequalityhasbeenrising.Realincomeofthemedian-incomeworkershavefallen4.6percentsince1979,andmorethanhalfthatdecreasehascomesince1992.Alistofnewwordsandexpressions：conglomeratemerger:多行企业并合DairyBelt：乳畜带Keynesiantheory：凯恩斯理论Sulfur：硫磺Assignment:WhatdoyouthinkarethecontributingfactorsthatmakeAmericaneconomysuccessful?WhatistheroleofprivateenterpriseinAmericaneconomy?WhataretheproblemsofAmericaneconomy?