Myth or Fact?

Myth or Fact?

The Great Depression was caused by a failure of the free market and was resolved by government intervention. Take a stand as to whether this statement was a myth or fact and persuasively defend your stand with relevant SPECIFIC FACTS.

This statement is a complete MYTH. The Great Depression was not helped or resolved by government intervention, but in fact actually caused and worsened it. For example, the Expansionary Monetary Policy of the 1920s (which artificially lowered interest rates) may have been what caused the stock market to get overheated which was one of the initial causes of the Great Depression.  During the fall of the Great Depression the government tried to intervene and the FED instituted the Contractionary Monetary Policy which caused to worsen the depression of America.  Tariffs were made that did not help as well as the High Wage policies made by Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt.  An increase in the marginal income tax was made (specifically 24-63% under Hoover and 63-79% under Roosevelt).  Roosevelt had actually said something before his presidential reign while he was the governor of New York that supports this statement perfectly, “The Constitution of the United States gives Congress no power to legislate in the matter of a great number of vital problems of government, such as the conduct of public utilities, of banks, of insurance, of business, of agriculture, of education, of social welfare, and of a dozen other important features. Washington must never be permitted to interfere in these avenues of our affairs.” 

Creation of a Charter City

Blog Essay Lesson 6

American Foundations

FD AMF 101 Sec 21

Michael Pratt

Charter City Lesson 6 Blog Essay

In a charter city there are a few basics that one needs to know and have in order to make it a successful charter city that will grow and prosper and actually help the economy to thrive. In order for a charter city to begin and be established, it must follow a few certain rules or key institutions. A charter city must be established on uninhabited land and given or provided for by a host country. A host country would also provide the persons or citizens to create such an economy. A charter city must have a governmental process and leaders to Administer the Region. Rules or key institutions would include exactly what it implies, key institutions to drive the economy to survive and flourish. Such key institutions would be first off a Moral Foundation (which includes a market economy, freedom of religion, property, aka “those natural rights”). In order for such an economy to be established, a Moral Foundation is completely necessary. As quoted from the reading, “The Success of an Idea” it says, “The idea at the heart of a free market economy was expressed valiantly in just one part of one sentence of the Declaration of Independence.  ‘Men…are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, which among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.’  If men have, from God, the right to life, it follows that they then have the right to sustain life, and thus have the rights to the fruits of their labors, or in other words, the right to pursue happiness. This is what we mean by the right to property.”  The reading, “The Success of an Idea” continues to state that, “Man can only flourish in an environment of freedom where he can act as an agent unto himself in the development of these divine attributes.” Another key institution to a successful charter city would be the Technological Change. Technological Change is also known as the general progression of development and modernization and distribution of technology. It is very much a technological progress and achievement. For the advancement of a charter city that will lead to the advancement of an entire nation relies in part on the Technological Change. The ideas the people have, the risks one would be willing to take for the betterment of the people, is so important. The reading, “The Success of an Idea” implies that, “The implementation of technology requires a risky expenditure of time and money,” which would lead us to our next critical key institution of a charter city, the Entrepreneurs. “We call those that take the risks necessary to bring workers and capital (i.e., tools, machinery, plants, and equipment) together to create jobs and wealth entrepreneurs. In countries with entrepreneurs we see implementation of technology and wealth creation, whereas, in countries without entrepreneurs we see stagnation,” says “The Success of an Idea.” Entrepreneurs are essential to economic growth and prosperity because of the many opportunities that arise to the public and welfare of the people. Entrepreneurs who start a successful business usually are in the interest of the public and it satisfies their needs. A business would create more jobs and give more stability to the people. Thus pushing the Technological Change and “making the pie bigger” for everyone to partake of like it says in the movie, “Greed.” The success of an Entrepreneur deals primarily with those reasons. “The Success of an Idea” continues to explain that “An entrepreneur can earn significant profits by identifying the problems of others that she can solve. The greater the pain, the more the consumer is willing to pay the entrepreneur to solve the problem.”  An economy in which an Entrepreneur could flourish and where creativity urged is found in a state of Economic Freedom. A country/charter city that has Economic Freedom has “low tax rates, low amounts of regulation, and very little corruption.”

                Ezra Taft Benson gave many examples of how an economy like such could survive and flourish. In his reading of “The Case for the Free Market” he explicitly shows how a charter city would do if based upon these principles. Among the principles, he mentions the following:

1. The free-market system rests on a moral base

2. The free market is based on the right to enjoy private enterprise for profit

3. A free market survives with competition

I couldn’t agree more with Ezra Taft Benson.  These 3 reasons compliment what I have stated earlier on how a charter city would be set economically and prosper because of the key institutions, Moral Foundation, Technological Change, Entrepreneurs, and Economic Freedom.

            In conclusion, the idea of a charter city is quite extensive and contains a lot of work. But when these basics are applied and followed, the economy will thrive and flourish. That is the greatness of this plan, and that it is a necessity. 

The Ratifying of the Constitution of the United States and the Importance of the Federalist Papers

On September 17, 1787 the Constitution of the United States of America was adopted and ratified by the states and “The People” as it states in the Preamble to the Constitution, as a document to govern and protect our country.  It was written in order to form “a more perfect union” and to establish those rights that every citizen naturally has. However, in the beginnings of this establishment, we notice that the Constitution was not very accepted among many in the United States.  The Constitution became an object of opposition and began to be spoken out against by many who opposed the Constitution.  People questioned whether men were capable of establishing such a government and whether or not they would be endlessly dependent on such a document.  Surely it was written by men and there must be errors.  But there were those founding fathers and writers of the Constitution that knew of the importance of this document and the need of this type of government.  All they needed to do was to help those who did not understand, to understand.  In response to this outrage of opinion, authors by the names of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, wrote essays outlining the operation of this new form of government and stressed the importance of it.  These essays are known as the Federalist Papers and consist of 85 essays to the people with the goal to unite the people and help them support this new form of government. 

                In one of the most famous essays to the public, the Federalist Paper 51, written by John Madison, he posed the very utmost significant and challenging question that has probably ever been brought up in political science.  “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.”  Acting as an answer to this great question, James Madison continues in the next sentence of the Federalist Paper 51 essay, “A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.”  Madison clearly states that the power of the government is derived from the people or “the governed.”  Which is why controlling the governed is so important to the success of the government.  Once the government has control over the people and is supported by the people, the next complication is how to prevent the government from becoming corrupt and turning on itself.  That is what James Madison meant by the need for “auxiliary precautions.”  A new system was to be introduced, to assure the stability of the government.  A system where the government would be separated into different branches of power known as the Legislative Branch, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch.  These different branches as James Madison implied, “will control each other, and at the same time that each will be controlled by itself.”  This system known as the Checks and Balances described the Separation of Powers on a federal and national level and then the power would be divided on a federal and state level recognized as a Division of Powers.  This gives the government a superior range to help govern those where variety played a key part in the voice of the people.  One state’s challenges might be another state’s strength.  All over the United States of America there are many different types of people and from this variety come many different factions.  Power has been given to the state to regulate these factions.  This gives the government more flexibility and power to control “the governed.”  Also hand in hand with the Separation of Powers, the Rule of Law plays a huge part in this as well, that the leaders or the governors could not put themselves in exception to the law or above it.  All men were created equal and all have equal consequences.  James Madison said in his second consideration that, “It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard the society against the oppression of rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part.”

                The Federalist Papers (with an emphasis on Federalist Paper 51) played a key role in the unification of the people of the United States to help support our Constitution.  The Constitution has helped our country reach the goals that were set by our founding fathers.  Many amendments have been introduced to even more fully help the Constitution fulfill its purpose.  We now understand the reason for the Separation of Powers in our governmental system today and in conclusion support it to a greater extent.  That was the intention of the writers of the Federalist papers, to ratify the Constitution because they knew the power it and how it solves the problems and errors that are meant to bring a country down because of the greed and pride of men.

The Constitution, a Divine Inspiration.

How is it that the U.S. Constitution was inspired?

What about the U.S. Constitution was inspired?

                The Constitution of the United States of America has been and is a guiding document and a leading piece of inspiration for our country.  Those who wrote it were definitely inspired for this greater cause.  The Preamble to this Constitution demonstrates the support that the people had for the writing of this document and they too acknowledge the need of this when they say, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”  These people saw and knew of the need for this Constitution.  Of course these people have been prepared and were humbled.  From their experiences back in their old life in Great Britain, they knew exactly how it was to live on the opposite side of freedom and could now appreciate the “Blessings of Liberty to [themselves] and [their] posterity.”  That’s just it, these rights and amendments and articles of the Constitution were blessings for them, blessings from on high.  God caused that “just” and “wise men” could write this document and that they could be led by Him to bring to pass His holy purposes.  In the scripture found in Doctrine and Covenants, section 101 verse 77, the Lord states that it was His will that he had “suffered [the Constitution] to be established.”   Now, as Elder Dallin H. Oaks states in a message given about the “Divinely Inspired Constitution,” this document has not only been a light for this country, but for almost every single country in the world (for this country was the very first to write and establish a constitution).  Many other countries have adopted the idea of a constitution and have based it off of the Constitution of the United States.  George Washington himself said that this Constitution was miracle, and indeed it was.  Look where we are now, the United States is the most powerful country in the world.  The Constitution of the United States helped to unify itself and to help it in its progress.  In conclusion, the Constitution was inspired. We can safely say that it was a revelation to our founding fathers in that day, and even today, we benefit from the blessings of liberty secured in the Constitution as we are the “posterity” of the Founding Fathers.  

Why Our Founding Fathers were Justified in Their Revolt Against Great Britain

Michael Pratt

Sept. 29, 2011

Why our Founding Fathers and the Colonies Were Morally Justified in Their Revolt against Great Britain.

               

In the years preceding the colonization of the American Continent, there were many who sought a better life than the one they had in Great Britain.  These people, known as the Puritans, left their homeland in the year 1640 and journeyed across the vast Atlantic to establish a better life in the Americas.  As these people became established in this new land, 13 colonies arose.  Back in Great Britain, there were many laws and customs which held them bound without choice of religion or a free life. They lived under a King, which meant that all were subject to him and his laws.  That being the case, all men were not equal.  There in the American Continent, they could enjoy these freedoms.  European settlers ventured from a mixture of social and religious groups to obtain these rights.  As these colonists strived to survive, they united themselves together.  Many of those inhabitants, who ventured over from Great Britain to colonize the New World, still considered themselves British.   They were still part of and loyal to the British Empire.  That British Kingdom was very highly developed and still had control over these colonies.  Those cities next to the ocean with ports were actually British cities. 

                These 13 colonies were still dependent on the British Empire.  Trading from the Old World to the New World was a big thing.  Inhabitants of the American world depended on imported goods such as tea, spices, and other foreign goods etc… because of this dependency, Great Britain still endeavored to govern those in the New World.  Americans claimed the right to freedom of government so as to have their own legislature and own taxing rights.  In America, the tax load was much lighter than that of Great Britain.  In the commencement of the year 1764, the British began to take advantage of its authority over America and laid a heavy tax load.  More power was exercised over the American colonies. The Americans did not respond well to these actions.  A sequence of protesting began starting with the Sugar Act in the year 1764.  The Sugar Act was issued by Parliament just to raise revenue and is an example of Taxation without Representation.  This act alongside the Currency Act (an act that prohibited the colonies from using their own currency) essentially just provided more money to the Crown.  The Americans were not pleased with these actions taken by the British. 

                Many more Acts followed which led the Americans to take bigger steps toward the American Revolution.  The Quartering Act of 1765 was an act that required the colonists to house British troops and supply them with food.  The Stamp Act was another example of Taxation without Representation.  This act required items such as newspapers, playing cards, medicines, cheques, mortgages, contracts and stamps (used for the legalization of documents and all printed materials had to be stamped with the authorization of the British), be laid with a heavier tax.  The colonists recognized this act as a violation of their rights and to be taxed without their approval.  The Stamp Act was stopped due to boycotts that injured the British Trade. The Declaratory Act in 1766 was a declaration that stated that Parliament’s authority in Great Britain was the same in America which gave Parliament the ability to make laws on the American colonies, even though the colonies were not represented in Parliament.  In 1767, the Townshend Acts (a series of laws passed by Parliament) was designed to raise more revenue and to inaugurate the fact that the British Parliament had the right to tax the colonies.  The colonies were not compliant to these laws which led the British to enter and to occupy Boston, Massachusetts in 1768. This led to the Boston Massacre in the year 1770. After the Boston Massacre, Parliament decided to withdraw the laws created in the Townshend Act as well as most of the taxes that had been given.  But, Parliament continued to tax the colonists without their approval or consent on items such as tea.  In 1773, the Tea Act followed. Tax was still heavy on tea which led many to smuggle the tea around the British so as to avoid the taxes given, which made the tea very cheap and undercutting the prices of other companies. This led to the famous Boston Tea Party where many dressed up in Indian costumes and boarded the decks of the ships used to import such goods and to dump all the tea overboard to show that they weren’t going to pay for such heavily taxed tea.  The Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable acts in the year 1774 showed exactly how Great Britain changed its relationship with the colonies.  There were three main acts under the Coercive Act. The Boston Port Act, a punishment in response to the Boston Tea Party, banned the usage of the Boston Port used for trade, shipping, importing, and exporting of goods.  The Boston Port was a main source of supply for these colonies.  This Act helped unify the colonies against the British and their outrageous abusage of power.  Parliament tried to take over the government of Massachusetts due to their behavior known as The Massachusetts Government Act.  This was done so as to have control and give more power to the Crown.   Another Act known as the Administration Act made it so royal officials no longer had to face trial in colonies; George Washington called it the “Murder Act.”  It succeeded later due to these Intolerable Acts, that Americans began to form for the first time the Continental Congress and instituted the Natural Rights of Man.

                In the year 1775, the colonies were declared to be in a state of rebellion.  Consequently the American Revolution began.  And after beating out the British and gaining their independence, the Declaration of Independence was written in the year 1776. From there on after, America was a free country.  Free to do what was instituted of God.  The natural rights of men were present and freedom of religion was prominent.  America has its own independent form of Government.  As the Declaration of Independence states, the people have the right to overthrow a government which infringes upon their rights and liberties.  We must remember that before all these Acts had happened, these colonists were loyal to Britain, their home.  It wasn’t in their minds to be independent at the time.  But when Great Britain decided to act like they did, the minds of the people had to change and revolt against their homeland.  Thus we conclude that the Founding Fathers of this great country were morally justified in every aspect to revolt against Great Britain.