American Foundations
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Myth or Fact: Great Depression
Was the Great Depression caused by the failure of the free market? Was it resolved by the government stepping in and creating new programs? It is a myth that these things happened. The Great Depression was not caused by the free market failing and the government stepping in did not completely resolve the whole thing.
The Great Depression was caused by many different things. One things people believe that caused it was the Stock Market Crash of 1929 on Black Thursday. Also another is the banks started to fail. The banks were uninsured so people lost all their savings. A lot of people had nothing. A big one is that people stopped spending. The economy basically stopped because everyone stopped spending their money on things. The big cause of the depression was probably the fear people had of losing everything they had and not having enough food.
What resolved the Great Depression was America joining World War II. With the war spending began to happen. America was spending money on equipment needed in the war. With so much spending going on the economy started again. people were provided more jobs. Money was circulating through the economy. This is what ended the Great Depression.
Even though people may believe that the free market is what caused the economy to fail and that government intervention is what stopped the Great Depression, it is a myth. There were many different reasons that it happened. Even though government did try to save the economy by intervening it was really the war that brought the Great Depression to an end.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Charter City
"The free market economy is supposed to be the only path leading to the happiness of humanity by promoting wealth and prosperity, power and influence of nations."
-Omar Bongo
If I were to create my own country I would want to have a free market economy were everyone can make and buy what they please. I believe that a free market economy is what makes countries rich and independent.
According to the Greed video competition between businesses helps business to grow and become stronger. I would allow competition to take place so companies could grow and expand.
Companies would work together. Just as it says in I, Pencil not one man knows how to do everything. I would have all the companies work together to create things. For example to make a pencil I would have people who cut down trees, people who deliver the trees, and the list continues.
"1.We believe that a governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.
2.We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life. (D&C 134)"
According to what that said the last thing I would do is let the citizens have their own property rights. Without property rights men can not create their own businesses and build up the economy.
In conclusion if I were to have my own city I would do it the way America did. America is one of the biggest wealthiest countries. I would use I would have a free market economy, allow competition between businesses, have companies working together, and allow people to have property rights.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Federalist 51 and Auxiliary Precautions
"In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself." James Madison stated this difficulty in Federalist 51. This difficulty means that the government should be able to control the people of a nation as long as the people give them the power to and the government must also control itself. The national and state government must be able to control itself by not taking advantage of the power that the people give them. Madison also states in Federalist 51 that the constitution solves this because of the auxiliary precautions that it states.
Separation of powers is a major auxiliary precautions. It separates the national government into three different branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Each of the branches has checks and balances on each other. With this not one branch has more power than the others.
Another auxiliary precaution is the Division of Power or Federalism. The Division of Power is the division of the national government and the state government. The national government does many things that are unconstitutional. Some of the things they do should be the state governments concern. Some examples of this is are public education, health care, welfare, and employment matters.
Madison also stated that "Pure democracy is the most vile of government..." He said this because if everyone were to vote about everything unconstitutional things would occur. If everything was voted on some of the rights of the people could be overtaken.
Factions are also a part of this difficulty. Factions can be a good thing. They can also be bad. They could trample over the minority. This is why we have a national government with a constitution. With this there is not one faction that can take away the rights of the minority.
The constitution takes away a lot of the difficulties that come with governing a nation. Without the constitution the nation of America would be in total chaos. All the auxiliary precautions that are stated are there to protect Americans' rights.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Inspired Constitution
"And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood."(D&C 101:80) The U.S. Constitution was inspired by Heavenly Father for the purpose of creating a nation where people would have the rights to have their own agency. Everyone would be able to choose what religion they want to follow or what they wanted to do with their lives without having someone choose it for them. The making of the U.S. Constitution was very much an inspired thing.
During the Constitutional Convention many men from all over the thirteen colonies came together in hopes of unity everyone. Those men who were chosen to represent those colonies were men who were very well educated and knew about politics. They weren't just going in there without knowing how other countries ran at the time. Another thing about these men is that they came from different backgrounds so they all had different perspectives and ideas on how everything should run. It seems from an outside perspective that it would have been really hard to come to a consensus without the help of Heavenly Father's inspiration.
All the man at that convention were humbled so they would be able to compromise. People have different opinions and can be really stubborn about what they believe. Without that compromising spirit American would not have the constitution they have today. Elder Dallin H. Oaks stated that "The success of the convention was attributable in large part to the remarkable intelligence, wisdom, and unselfishness of the delegates."
Elder Oaks in the same talk gave four things in the U.S. Constitution that he believed were inspired. They are separation of powers, the Bill of Rights, division of powers, and popular sovereignty. The separation of powers makes it so that not one single person or branch has more power than another. It also includes checks and balances. The bill of rights not only gives the American people rights to certain things but it also tells the government what they can not do. Division of powers gives equal power to the state governments and the national government. Popular sovereignty is when the people give the government their power. The government can not have more power than what it is given.
This nation was chosen by Heavenly Father to be a great nation. He inspired our Forefathers to create the Constitution so that we could be a free nation.
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