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172 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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US makes up less than __% of the global population |
5% |
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Less developed countries adding _____ to global population |
more |
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Why do people in less developed countries have more kids? |
- Social security - fewer women in workforce - less contraception |
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Oligarchy |
rule by a few such as a ruling class or business class |
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Differences between parliamentary system and presidential system |
Parliament takes less time, more uniform, but less perspective and taking longer isn't always a bad thing |
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US Government receives revenue from _____ |
taxes |
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Foreign government owns _/_ of US debt
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1/3rd
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Why does the US have low interest rates for their debt? |
US has no history of default and foreign governments rely on US to be spending |
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Nearly 2.5 billion people live on less than $__ a day |
$2 |
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Governments are constituted to |
promote public good |
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Social Securitybenefits are collected through _________________ and paid out when citizens meet specific criteria |
payroll taxes |
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Social Security comprises over __% of US federal government expenditures |
20% |
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Social security helps prevent ___________ |
extreme poverty |
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Social Security changed after the ___________ |
Industrial Revolution |
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The world’s first Social Security retirement program was put into effect in ________ in 1889 |
Germany |
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What is the outlook for the federal budget through 2040? |
Continued deficits through 2040 |
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What are the three largest contributors to the federal budget? |
Healthcare, social security, defense |
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______________ tipped people in favor to developing a social security program in the US |
The Great Depression |
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The US works on a ______________ Social Security system |
pay-as-you-go |
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Social Security benefits are based on |
historical contributions to Social Security while working |
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What will happen when the Social Security Trust Fund is exhausted? |
Tax income will only cover about three-fourths of benefit payments |
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Social Security taxes are paid by |
both employees and their employers |
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$118,500 is |
the maximum taxable amount |
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The social security tax is progressive or regressive? |
regressive |
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A regressive tax is a tax that takes a _______ percentage of total income from low-income people than from high-income people |
larger |
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Excess tax receipts are only invested in US _________ |
treasuries |
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Why is Social Security facing financial problems? |
- People are living longer today than in 1960 - There are now fewer workers per Social Security beneficiary than in 1960 - Baby boomers are increasingly eligible for benefits |
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T/F: The US requires workers to pay into a 401k account |
False - this does happen in other countries though |
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______________ is the largest user of taxes |
Social Security |
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US follows pillar __ and pillar __ |
2 and 4 |
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The United States spends _____________ as much per person onhealth care as the average OECD country |
more than twice |
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True or False: The United States uses a common fee schedule so that hospitals, doctors and health services are paid similar rates for most of the patients they see. |
False - we are fee-for-service model |
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How do most people receive health insurance? |
Through their employer |
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The National Health Insurance model (widely known as a single payer system) generally has which attribute(s)? |
Government-run insurance program |
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ACA got rid of _________________ |
medical underwriting |
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Indiana predominantly uses what form of energy? |
coal |
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__________ dominates US in terms of energy |
Petroleum |
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US is abundant in ______ and _______? (energy) |
coal + natural gas |
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________ is largest source of electricity in US |
Coal |
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How is coal predominantly mined in the US? |
Surface Mining |
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_________________ will be playing a larger role in producing electricity in the future |
Natural Gas |
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US is __ largest in oil reserves |
10th |
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The US is the __ largest oil producer |
3rd |
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___________ is #1 in oil reserves |
Venezuela |
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________ is #1 oil producer |
Saudi Arabia |
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US is the #__ largest oil consumer |
#1 |
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Oil is priced on the _______ market |
futures |
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Commodities futures, or futures contracts, are |
an agreement to buy or sell a commodity at a specific date in the future at a specific price |
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The US imports the most oil from ________ |
Canada |
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Traders look at several aspects when developing the bids that create oil prices: |
– Cost of extracting oil – Current supply in terms of output, especially the production quota set by OPEC – Oil reserves, including what is available in U.S. refineries and what is stored at the Strategic Petroleum Reserves – Oil demand, particularly from the U.S. and China – Political instability |
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Economies with abundant natural resources havetended to grow _______ rapidly than natural resource scarce economies |
less |
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_________ countries are most effected by climate change |
Developing |
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Dutch Disease |
The term was coined in the Netherlands in the 1960s, after it discovered huge deposits of natural gas. What happens incountries with Dutch Disease is that the value of their currency rises, thanks to the sudden influx of cash. That thenmakes the country’s manufactured exports uncompetitive and its imports very cheap. The citizens, flush with cash, startimporting like crazy, the domestic industrial sector gets wiped out |
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Corrupting Forces (resource curse) |
Prospect of riches orients official efforts to seizing a larger share of the pie, rather than creating a larger pie. The resultof this wealth grab is often eroding institutions of law, seizures of power by the military or current leader and in somecases conflict |
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True or False: EPA’s Clean Power Plan will phase out the use of coal for power generation by 2030. |
False |
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True or False: The United States Congress ratified the Kyoto Protocol. |
False |
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True or False: The commitments made, and likely to be made by December, by the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases will likely be enough to hold the world to no more than 2°C of warming. |
False |
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Taxation Effect |
– Oil-rich governments tend to use their revenues to relieve social pressures that might otherwise lead to demands forgreater accountability from, or representation in, the governing authority. As Friedman puts it: The motto of theAmerican Revolution was “no taxation without representation.” The motto of the petrolist authoritarian is “norepresentation without taxation.” Oil-backed regimes do not have to tax their people in order to survive because theycan simply drill an oil well |
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_________ is the top contributor to global warming (gas) |
Carbon Dioxide |
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Money is in _______ oil, not ________ |
extracting, selling |
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World population growing by __________ every 13 years |
1 billion |
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Policies are |
established ways of doing something and they address social issues (think: drinking) |
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Solutions to Social Security issue: |
- reduce spending - increase revenue |
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Future of social security: more ______ than ______ |
recipients than workers |
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____________ control the military in the US |
civilians |
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US accounts for _/_ of global military spending |
1/3 |
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______ and _______ have largest nuclear stockpile |
US + Russia |
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What is most of the $ in the military spent on? (3 things)
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- Military pay + healthcare - operations, readiness, + support - Modernization |
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US war casualty history is ________ compared to other countries. |
minor |
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Eisenhower was concerned about: |
- The growth of military spending - Balancing military expenditure with money that could be spent on public programs - The armaments industry acquiring unwarranted influence in government |
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True or False: In the ten years following September 11, 2001, US military and security expenditures remained roughly the same. |
False |
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War is |
the continuation of policy by other means |
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T/F: In war, more than anywhere else, things do not turn out as we expect |
true |
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Center of Gravity |
The hub of all power and movement, on which everything depends. That is the point against which all our energiesshould be directed |
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Sun Tzu - Art of War Concepts |
- Destruction of the enemy's will rather than merely his physical forces - Flexibility, speed and timing are critical in the successful pursuit of war - If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will notstand in doubt - Divide and conquer – Keep your enemy’s forces divided – Disrupt your enemy’s alliances - There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare…In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns - The highest excellence is never having to fight because the commencement of battle signifies a political failure |
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St. Augustine says |
- taking human life is seriously wrong - states have a duty to defend their citizens, and defend justice - protecting innocent human life and defending important moral values sometimes requires willingness to use force and violence |
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True or False: The United States had very little involvement with Iraq prior to 1990. |
False |
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Just War Theory (6 clauses) |
- The war must be for a just cause - The war must be lawfully declared by a lawful authority - The intention behind the war must be good - All other ways of resolving the problem should have been tried first - There must be a reasonable chance of success - The means used must be in proportion to the end that the war seeksto achieve |
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T/F: The surge of US troops in 2007 was successful |
True |
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Grand strategy refers to |
the collection of plans and policies that comprise the state's deliberate effort to harness political, military, diplomatic,and economic tools together to advance that state's national interest |
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True or False: The Islamic State’s (also known as IS, ISIS and ISIL) origins can be traced back to the recent war in Iraq. |
True |
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IS capitalizes on feelings of __________ and despair of poor Sunni communities. |
disenfranchisement |
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Truman Doctrine committed the United States to |
actively offering assistance to preserve the political integrity of democratic nations when such an offer was deemed to be in the best interest of the United States |
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Deterrence |
- the maintenance of military power for the purpose of discouraging attack - Key feature of US and Soviet strategy during the Cold War |
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Containment |
the policy, process or result of preventing the expansionof a hostile power or ideology |
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George W. Bush: Idealist or Realist? |
Idealist |
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Hard Power |
When someone does something he would otherwise notdo but for force or inducement - the use of sticks and carrots |
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Soft Power |
The ability to secure those outcomes through attraction rather than coercion - it is the ability to shape what others want |
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Iraq war can be described as |
preemptive |
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True motive of Iraq war: |
A functioning and successful democracy with free market principles in the Middle East would be transformative to the region |
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Strategic Missteps in Iraq |
- Invaded with too few troops to occupy and restore peace - Underestimated the need for broad international support - Poor pre-war intelligence on WMD - Underestimated the economic costs of war - Underestimated the divisions within Iraq - Failed to implement a grand strategy that involved all parts of the US government - Lack of economic development and employment opportunities |
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Iraq or Afghanistan?: The CIA and U.S. military drew up plans for an "unconventional war" in whichCIA officers would link up with anti-Taliban guerrillas inside of country |
Afghanistan |
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T/F: A realist believes International affairs is a struggle for power among self-interested states |
True |
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Were more resources provided to Iraq or Afghanistan war? |
Iraq |
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A total of $_______ has already been spent on militaryoperations in Iraq and Afghanistan |
$1.6 trillion |
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T/F - An idealist believes: Foreign policy should be guided by ethical and legal standards |
True |
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Gulf War or Iraq war: Overwhelming forces, less objectives |
Gulf War |
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True or False: The United States is the most generous nation in the world when considering foreign aid as a percent of gross national income. |
False |
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The Secretary carries out |
the President's foreign policies through theState Department and the Foreign Service of the United States |
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What does the US spend foreign aid on? |
1. Int'l development + assistance 2. Conduct of foreign affairs 3. Int'l security assistance |
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Which countries are permanent members of the security council? |
US, Russia, France, England, China |
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There are ____ member states in United Nations |
192 |
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True or False: The World Bank aims to preserve economic stability. |
False |
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United Nations was formed in _____ |
1945 |
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United Nations purpose is |
To maintain international peace and security |
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The Council is made up of __ members |
15 |
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The adoption of a Council decision requires ___ votes in favor |
9 |
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T/F: The IMF aims to preserve economic stability and to tackle - or ideally prevent -financial crises |
True |
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The World Bank... |
channels loans and grants and advises low and middle-income countries |
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True or False: Countries that make larger financial contributions to the IMF have greater voting rights. |
True |
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Resource Curse Solutions |
- oil revenue mgmt - save oil revenue for future generations - promote good governance - establish independent institutions - transparency - diversify economy |
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Four principles of Negotiation: |
– 1) separate the people from the problem – 2) focus on interests rather than positions – 3) generate a variety of options before settling on an agreement – 4) insist that the agreement be based on objective criteria |
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Separating the people from the issues allows the parties to address the issues without ____________ |
damaging their relationship |
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Three Basic People Problems in Negotiating |
Perception, Emotion, Communication |
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Good agreements focus on the __________ , rather than _____________ |
parties' interests, rather than their positions |
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Your _______ is something you have decided upon. Your ________ are what caused you to decide |
position, interests |
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The key to reconciling different interests is to look for |
items that are of low cost to you and high benefit to them, and vice versa |
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(Negotiation) Criteria should be both _________ and_________ |
legitimate, practical |
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The weaker party should concentrate on assessing their (BATNA) |
best alternative to a negotiated agreement |
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The weaker party should reject agreements that would leave them ________ than their BATNA |
worse off |
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According to the Non-proliferation Treaty on Nuclear Weapons, Iran has the right to pursue ____________________ |
peaceful nuclear power development |
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Migration is occurring constantly both _______ and _______ |
internally, externally |
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Why do people migrate? |
The world distribution of opportunities is extremely unequal. THIS IS THE KEY DRIVER OF HUMAN - Forced to leave due to war, repression or persecution - Reunite with family members |
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The overwhelming majority of people who move do so _________________ |
inside their own country |
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Most of the world’s 200 million international migrants moved from one ___________ or between developed countries |
developing country to another |
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Among people who have moved across national borders, just over a third moved from a developing country to _________________ |
a developed country |
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True or False: The National Origins Act in 1921 (and its final form in 1924) gave preference to immigrants from northern and western Europe. |
True |
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Challenges Facing a Migrant |
- Moving is costly - (lack of) Opportunity from skills, money and networks - Challenges to assimilate and learn the language - Learning a new system and its laws - Have to leave friends and family |
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What do migrants do w/ their money a majority of the time? |
Send it home |
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The United States is a uniquely attractive place for an immigrant. However, it cannot afford to be complacent because: |
- The American immigration system has become slower, discouraging talent to come to the US - Rising powers are hanging on to more of their home-grown talent - Other countries have started to better compete for talent |
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How is migration different today than in the past? |
Migrants have the ability to move to any global location like never before |
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True or False: Illegal immigrants in the United States are able to avoid all taxes. |
False |
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True or False: The bipartisan immigration legislation introduced in the Senate failed to address border security. |
False |
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True or False: The bipartisan immigration legislation introduced in the Senate would have granted citizenship to all illegal immigrants currently living in the United States. |
False |
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Barred Chinese laborers from immigrating to the US.The Chinese currently in the United States were barred from naturalization. This law stood in place until it was repealed in 1943 |
1882 Chinese Exclusion Act |
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Before _______, immigration was largely unrestricted |
WWI |
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The National Origins Act in 1921(lasted until 1965) |
- quotas based on national origins - gave preference to immigrants from northern and western Europe, severely limited the numbers from eastern and southern Europe - declared all potential immigrants from Asia to be unworthy of entry into the US |
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The Bracero Program in 1942 (lasted until 1964) |
Allowed Mexican nationals to take temporary agricultural work in the US. |
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The law replaced the quotas with preference categories based on familyrelationships and job skills |
Hart-Celler Act in 1965 |
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Law prohibited the hiring of illegal immigrants, provided newresources for enforcement along the Mexican border and offered legalstatus, or amnesty, to several million unauthorized immigrants |
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 |
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US Population Becoming Increasingly ________ |
Diverse |
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Challenges of Immigration: Economic/Social |
- Depresses wages in low-skilled areas - Increases the number of people to provide social services - Can cause social discontent with native born citizens |
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Challenges of Immigration: Controlling |
- National security - More affordable forms of transportation have increased mobility of people - Erecting effective barriers to entry without damaging economic activity |
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______________ is a commonway to immigrate illegally |
Overstaying visas |
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The majority (90%) of non-immigrant visitors were _________ and ______________ |
tourists and business travelers |
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H-1B |
Highly skilled foreign workers, specialty occupations |
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The H-2A/B (A – agricultural, B – non-agricultural): |
unskilled labor for peakload, seasonal or intermittent needs to augment their existing labor force |
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Illegal immigrants pay ________ tax and ________ taxes |
sales tax and real estate taxes |
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On a whole, _________ authorities control the majority of decisions ineach school district, while the ________ primarily sets general standardsand guidelines |
local, state |
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Strengths of US Education System |
- Inclusiveness – Near universal basic literacy Higher education - Relatively well funded compared to other developed countries - Has a history of producing economically productive people - Teaching problem solving and critical thinking skills |
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True or False: The Department of Education is a relatively new institution, established just 30 years ago. |
False |
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Which level of government contributes the smallest portion of education funding in the United States? |
Federal |
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Summary of Weaknesses of US Ed System |
- Few national standards, varying state/local standards - Long summer break - Internationally underperforming in math and science - Internationally underperforming in high school graduation rates - Fewer number and shorter school days - Rapidly increasing cost of already expensive higher education |
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US has the ___ highest total cost of educational institutions per student from primary to tertiaryeducation |
#1 |
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US has ____ high school graduation rates |
low |
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True or False: Venture capital investment in educational start-up companies has increased since 2005. |
True |
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US is performing ______ globally in reading and esp math + science |
POORLY |
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Who sets the standards under the No Child Left Behind Act? |
States |
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Student achievement grew faster during the years _______ No Child Left Behind |
Before |
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What constitutes the largest tax break? |
Mortgage Interest |
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Which is taxed at a higher rate for a high income earner? Wages or Capital gains |
Wages |
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The income taxfundamentally changed this relationship, giving the government the right and theneed to know about an individual or business' economic life |
16th Amendment |
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____ of all tax revenue is raised by the federalgovernment |
Half |
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The federal income tax is a ___________ tax |
regressive |
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Key Concept: One extra dollar is more valuable to someone at a lower income level than someone at a high income level |
Progressive |
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Key Concept: The lower the income, the more likely you’ll spend a greater percentage of your total income |
Regressive |
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Regressive taxes take a ________ share of the income of low-income groups |
larger |
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Progressive taxes require high income groups to pay a ________ percentage of their incomes in taxes than low-income groups |
larger |
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A greater percentage of Americans pay Federal income tax or Payroll taxes (Social Security & Medicare) |
Payroll Taxes |
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Who doesn't pay income tax? |
No one with income under $10,000 and most people with income $20K-$30K |
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Who doesn't pay federal income and payroll taxes? |
More than half were elderly Nearly one-third were non-elderly with income under $20,000 |
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- Remove Taxable Amount on Social Security and Lower Overall Rate - Flat Tax - Simplify Tax Code for Individuals and Corporations |
Tax Reform Ideas |
