malthus has an anti-breeding kink

Question 1

William Godwin & Archdeacon William Paley

Answer 1

an increasing population was a good sign

Question 2

malthus’ population theory

Answer 2

describes the population exploding –> more population would force farmers to farm less fertile soils (“diminishing returns”) –> output could not keep up with population

Question 3

what did malthus say about population growth

Answer 3

population tends to double every twenty-five years –> unchecked
- population grows at a geometric ratio
- food increases at merely an arithmetic ratio

Question 4

3 positive checks (that hold back geometric population growth)

Answer 4

• war
• plague
• famine

Question 5

2 preventative checks (that hold back geometric population growth)

Answer 5

• birth control
• celibacy

Question 6

poor laws

Answer 6

british laws that ensured that the poor were housed in workhouses, clothed and fed

Question 7

why was malthus a WRONG BUM LE TANG

Answer 7

only right up until the 1800s
- didn’t distinguish between immigrants and natural-born Americans
- missed advancements in medicine, agricultural revolution, start of an Industrial Revolution
- output doubled in england
- a higher standard of living in his time did not lead to a birth spiral

Question 8

4 stages of “demographic transition”

Answer 8

• preindustrial societies → high death rates balance high birthrates
• early industrial development → better health lowers death rates
• urbanization and education persuade many to have fewer children
• mature society → successful birth control → population stabilizes

Question 9

why is the malthusian trap more relevant in less developed nations

Answer 9

• better health services reduce death rates
• birthrates continue at high levels
• educational campaigns, subsidized birth control, and economic development → birthrates declined in last 20 years

Question 10

Ricardo’s Law of Comparative Advantage

Answer 10

producer with the lowest opportunity cost

Question 11

Corn Laws

Answer 11

tariffs/trade restrictions on imported food and corn in the UK (1815-1846)

Question 12

why did ricardo became enemy of upper class

Answer 12

“interest of the landlords is always opposed to the interest of every other class in the community”

Question 13

abraham lincoln

Answer 13

was “protectionist” but didn’t really know shi lldweujlqwihc [ow

Question 14

criticism of ricardian example of two countries with different natural resources

Answer 14

Nobel laureate Paul Krugman → most of the increase in trade between countries with similar incomes and resources

Question 15

josh nash

Answer 15

game theory –> prisoner’s dilemma

Question 16

disagreements w/ smith

Answer 16

smith –> constant returns to agriculture, increasing returns to industry
ricardo –> decreasing returns to agriculture, constant returns to industry

Question 17

what did ricardo say accepting Malthus’s population principles

Answer 17

• increasing population leads to a higher demand for food
• extending farming to less fertile lands
• higher costs in farming
• higher prices for food
• paying workers more
• lower profits for entrepreneurs
• higher payments to those who own the best lands

Question 18

say’s law

Answer 18

“supply creates its own demand” –> savings creates investment

Question 19

rebuttals against corn laws

Answer 19

• high domestic grain output
• high wages
• grain too important of commodity to be left to foreign guys
• glazing ricardo who was a landlord