AP+U.S.+History

7/28/11

Activity # 3: Previewing the Summer Assignment -I knew America had a democracy, but didn't know it's economic system was capitalism -I feel that the questions require more research than I thought because I do not know much about these topics, but I am very interested in learning. -"Capitalism-A Love Story" ? Why's it called that? -Necessary to have complete sentences? || -America’s economic system: capitalism and its political system: democracy -Have to acknowledge them very well -Learn how they're praticed -Know how they work Everything should be in my own words -Watch document "Capitalism-A Love Story" -Cite my sources ||
 * CCQ's || Preview ||
 * -Are there any other economic systems? If so, where are they used?

**Capitalism & Democracy**
//1. What is capitalism?// -an economic and political system where there is a private ownership on country's trade and industry -complete seperation of economy and state -based upon individual rights where you are allowed to do whatever you please as long as you're not violating someone elses rights

//2. What form of capitalism does the United States practice? What are the details of this form of capitalism?// -mixed economy system is the form of capitalism practiced in the US -form of capitalism that lies between socialism and capitalism -economic system in which both private enterprise and a part of where states have control of certain services (usually in public services, defense, and basic industries) exist. -when you have some aspects of every single economy; traditional, command, and market economies; put together in one economy

//3. Why does the U.S. practice capitalism - why is it the system that the founders of the United States established?// -U.S. practices capitalism because they think if everyone works independently at their best self interests, the economy will naturally thrive -Gives people the oppurtunity to own own whatever they wish and it will please them to have what they'd like -Not equal power and wealth, though allows people to do what they like

//4. What are the positives and negatives of having this economic system?// Positives: -many freedoms -decided what you want to sell or buy -competition and participation in your own choosings of businesses Negatives: -distribution of wealth and power is unfair -need to find own markets for products- work independently to help yourself economically -no control over who gets ownership in what

//5. What is democracy?// -a form of government where all citizens have an say in the decisions that affect their daily lives -where you have freedom to do whatever you want as long it's not taking away or hurting anyone elses rights

//6. What form of democracy does the United States practice? What are the details of this form of democracy?// -representative democracy is the form of democracy the US practices -we elect officials to pass and deliberate on legislation on our behalf -we elect representatives whose ideas are closest to our views on political matters and they are supposed to use their views along with the views of the citizens to make laws.

//7. Why does the U.S. practice democracy - why is it the system that the founders established?// //-//The U.S. practices democracy because of the many benefits it provides. -It protects the inalienable rights of people and it's able to take good care of its citizens. -Since the citizens are able to make changes to help themselves in their daily lives, it just makes everything even more better for them to live comfotably without any complaints. They are able to make their own lives in the U.S. instead of having one handed to them to live in a certain way by the rules and to deal with things they don't agree to in the country.

//8. What are positives and negatives of having this system?// Positives: -people can vote -people can speak up about a law or decision -every person has as much power as every other -not one ruler creating all the rules -choose who they want to have as a leader -having religious freedom and inalienable right Negatives: -hard to get things done because people have to agree -need to please everyone -uneducated citizens might not know everything about a certain issue and vote -bias voting

//9. Please watch Michael Moore's 2009 documentary "Capitalism: A Love Story" and summarize 4 or 5 of his main points. Also, please critique his arguments - what does he leave out, what problems do you find with his approach, etc. Make sure you relate the film to your eariler research on capitalism and democracy. So please do these steps in order, so this film should be viewed after you've done the work for #1-8)// Main Points:- -There is so much competition that that you're either rich with everything you need or poor needing so much. Capitalism makes people fight for what they want and while some gain, others lose. You can't ever have just the right amount in between to live the perfect life. -The system is supposed to do both taking and giving to be fair and equal, but there isn't much giving when there's competition. You gain what you get and never want to give away any of what you have. You only give when it's completely necessary, but even then you're looking for your own profit in that. -Without profit no one is willing to do anything. For example like at work, you're working for a reason and that reason is that you will be payed. If you weren't going to get payed, many people wouldn't even try because what are they getting out of working? Everyone looks for their own benefits and if none are seen, there's no reason to be doing anything.
 * 1. There are people that have it all and the people that have nothing; there's no in between anymore.**
 * 2. Capitalism is the system of taking and giving, but mostly taking.**
 * 3. If you have things, you can easily get more things.**
 * -**When you have things you want, you are detemined more than ever to continue to try to get what other things you want. So in this case, you are able to grow and grow with what you already have that you can show off to get goods you're yearning to get.
 * 4. I guess you can say it's easy to be #1 when you have no competition.**
 * -**When there's no one else as successful as you, you don't even need to try. You are automatically better than everyone else and are at the top. Though this is when people think they're always going to be the best and don't try anymore, but don't realize who's getting up close behind them. Then before you know it you're not #1 anymore.
 * 5. People are motivated by profit.**

Critique:- -I like the way Michael Moore has that speaker who tells the main story of what's going on throughout the film. If I listen to him, I feel I'll catch the main idea of that little part and can find details later within that part of the film. In the end, the film isn't hard to summarize because of all the main ideas I get from the speaker. -Moore leaves out the different forms of capitalism. He just uses the general topic of capitalism throughout the film, but I think this was okay because there was laready so much information to take in that adding these details would add way too much to remember. -I think he did a great job presenting his thoughts on capitalism with all the detail, but I think if he had cut out some of the really specific details the movie could have been more entertaining and fun to watch. With all the information to grasp sometimes I felt it was just too much when he put in all the other little uneccessary things. -Moore didn't include both negatives and positives of having capitalism. He focused on all the negative aspects which make viewers believe that capitalsm is so bad that there is no reason for us to be practicing it. Wish he showed some postive aspects too, but then, showed something that over powered those postive things so that we know that there are good and bad things about capitalism and believe him in what he says even more. -I know that the high classes benefitted from capitalism, but when they're competition got hard and they weren't exactly at the top anymore, did they go through hard times too? Also, did they still have that status that they had when they were #1? -This documentary related to my research on democracy and capitalism. In my research, I learned that being in a democracy means to have equal oppurtunities and rights as everyone else and I learned that even though we have democracy and we think we have equal parts, we don't. This all happens because of capitalism. Capitalism cuts off that "Equality" between everyone and everything. In the film, I saw that capitalism was well displayed and presented in a manner that showed the concept the same way as I researched it.

//10. What is the relationship between capitalism and democracy? How do they work together, how do their principles coincide and how do they oppose each other?// -Capitalism and democracy have a sister-sister relationship. They are similar, but not exactly completely the same. They both work to give people rights and power to help them live the life they wish. Their principles coincide by having the same idea of having people choose what they want and by having the power to state what they would like. Even though their principles coincide, they also oppose eachother because while democracy gives everyone equal rights so that one person doesn't have more power than someone else, capitalism doesn't do the same to give that equal partnership. Capitalism allows citizens to buy and sell private enterprises and do whatever they wish with what they own and it doesn't have to be anywhere equal to what anyone else owns.