Web-based Economics Worksheet Globalization Project
MGC Name: ______
Directions: For this project you will need to go to the following web site - http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/english/beyond/global/beg-en.html
Read Chapter I: What is Development? and answer the following questions in your own words:
1. What is sustainable development? Explain.
2. Why is it a challenge to measure development?
Read Chapter II: Comparing Levels of Development and answer the following questions in your own words:
1. What is GDP? GNP? Explain.
2. What are two ways of calculating GDP & GNP? Why are there two ways?
3. What are GNP & GDP per capita? Why is it important to know this? What are the limitations to GNP per capita & GDP per capita?
4. Click the link to purchasing power parity (PPP) and define what it is. What does knowing this help us do?
5. Under Chapter IV: Economic Growth Rates, look at map 4.1, where does your project country stand with per capita growth rate between 1990-99?
6. Based on this section, are the rich countries getting richer or is the GDP per capita gap getting smaller? Where are these things better or worse?
7. Click on the following link and choose the countries from the drop down menu and look up the information
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTIC/0,,contentMDK:20535285~menuPK:64909264~pagePK:64909151~piPK:64909148~theSitePK:6950074~isCURL:Y,00.html
a. In 2000 vs. 2008, what was the GDP for:
China ______
India ______
U.S. ______
Japan ______
b. What were these countries percentage GDP growth rates for all the dates listed?
China ______
India ______
U.S. ______
Japan ______
Activity with your group:
1. Listed below are some activities that could help increase a country's GNP per capita growth. Assume that you are an officer in the Ministry of Planning. Because funds are limited, not all plans can be implemented at once.
a. Rank the following activities in the order in which you would undertake them. Explain why you chose this ranking.
* Resurface and broaden a highway for trucks carrying logs from the country’s largest forest to its only seaport.
* Provide subsidized loans to banks so they can make small loans with low interest rates to 500 small business owners.
* Equip twenty minibuses to provide health care and family planning services in rural areas; train and pay salaries of bus workers.
* Train 100 secondary school graduates to teach in understaffed primary schools and to run adult literacy programs.
* Train and equip fifty field workers and pay their salaries for a year; each trainee will teach 100 farmers to use a new planting technique that will help increase production.
b. Are there any activities you would not undertake? Explain.
c. Think of three additional programs that could help increase GDP per capita. Describe each program and explain how you would fit them into your ranking.