章节大纲

  • Evaluating Economic Performance
    ::评价经济业绩

    All economic systems have goals in place to guide them in their quest for success. In the United   States ,  we have a market system or a free enterprise system .  This system  has numerous economic goals that are also tied to society.  While not every person would rank these goals in the same order, they are in fact the most recognized by individuals as significant topics related to the economy and society. Many Americans consider the following issues to be of the utmost importance to our economy and government:  economic freedom, economic efficiency, economic equity, economic security, full employment, price stability, and economic growth.
    ::所有经济体系都有指导它们追求成功的目标。在美国,我们有一个市场体系或自由企业体系。这个体系有许多也与社会联系在一起的经济目标。虽然并非每个人都能将这些目标按同一顺序排列,但事实上,这些目标被个人视为与经济和社会有关的重要问题。许多美国人认为下列问题对我们的经济和政府至关重要:经济自由、经济效率、经济公平、经济安全、充分就业、价格稳定以及经济增长。

    Universal Generalizations
    ::普遍化

    • The free enterprise system has many benefits that lead to a higher quality of life for its citizens.
      ::自由企业系统有许多好处,可以提高公民的生活质量。
    • Freedom and equity are related to the level of satisfaction people have with their economic system.
      ::自由和公平与人民对其经济制度的满意程度有关。

    Guiding Questions
    ::问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问 问

    1. What are the economic goals of the United States?
      ::美国的经济目标是什么?
    2. What are some of the benefits of the free enterprise system?
      ::自由企业制度有哪些好处?
    3. How do high-interest rates discourage business growth?
      ::高利率如何阻碍商业增长?

    Video: Economic Surveys: The Data Journey
    ::录像:经济调查:数据旅行

    Economic Performance
    ::经济表现 经济表现 经济表现 经济表现 经济表现 经济表现 经济表现

    Economic freedom is when people have the right to make their own decisions regarding individual choice of where to work, how to work, for whom to work, as well as uses of the money earned. Economic efficiency is the idea that resources should not be wasted in order to produce products. Equity , in relation to economics, is the idea that there should be fairness regarding equal pay for equal work, or prevention of discrimination in the workplace and prohibition of false claims by producers. Economic security is the idea that workers will be protected, to a certain degree, from economic events by having a safety net to help out those who are unemployed, injured on the job, or too old to work. Full employment is the idea that everyone should work so that they can earn money to participate in the circular flow of economic activity. If people do not work, they cannot purchase goods and services and the economy will not grow accordingly. Price stability is perhaps harder to achieve. The belief that prices should remain stable and the government should keep inflation in check to allow people on a fixed income to be able to afford goods and services. If inflation grows, it will impact both businesses and individuals alike. Finally, economic growth is necessary to keep up with the demand of a growing population.  The idea that there will be more or better goods and services in the future, and that people will want those products and the economy will continue to grow.
    ::经济自由是指人们有权就个人选择在何处工作、如何工作、为谁工作、如何工作、如何使用挣得的金钱作出自己的决定; 经济效率是不应浪费资源来生产产品的理念; 与经济学有关的公平是,在同工同酬或防止工作场所的歧视和禁止生产者的虚假要求方面应当公平,或防止工作场所的歧视; 经济安全是这样一种想法,即工人将在某种程度上受到保护,免受经济事件的影响,办法是有一个安全网来帮助失业者、工伤者或工作年龄过大的人。 充分就业是人人都应该工作,以便挣钱参加经济活动的循环流动。 如果人们不工作,他们就不能购买货物和服务,经济也不会相应增长。 价格稳定也许更难实现。 价格应该保持稳定,政府应该保持通货膨胀,以便让固定收入的人能够支付货物和服务。 如果通货膨胀加剧,那么它就会影响企业和个人。 充分就业是人人都应该工作,这样的想法就是每个人都应该工作,这样就可以挣钱来参加经济活动的循环流动。 最后,如果人们不工作,他们就无法购买货物和服务,经济就不会相应增长。 价格稳定也许更难实现。 认为价格应该保持稳定,政府应该控制通货膨胀,让有固定收入的人能够支付货物和服务。 如果通货膨胀,那么,那么,它就会影响到企业和个人。 如果通货膨胀,那么它会继续影响企业和个人,那么它就会影响到企业和个人。 和工作。 最后,那么,那么,那么,经济的增长将会需要 和将来 增长, 增长 将使得那些 增长 和产品的需求将会保持增长。

    lesson content

    In 2015, more than 190 world leaders committed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help us all end extreme poverty, fight inequality & injustice, and fix climate change. We each have a role to play if we’re going to achieve these goals of a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable world. Source: https://www.globalgiving.org/sdg/?rf=ggad_15&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3v3YBRCOARIsAPkLbK7hSi7blYqzc2uQXgV-HxIDHqr-fwcUc2GlA8o87qyRLPJ5ahTzw90aAsaGEALw_wcB
    ::2015年,190多位世界领导人承诺致力于17项可持续发展目标(SDGs),以帮助我们所有人消除极端贫困,消除不平等和不公正,并遏制气候变化。 如果我们要实现更繁荣、公平和可持续的世界的目标,我们每个人都可以发挥作用。 资料来源:https://www.globalfil.org/sdg/?rf=ggad_15&gclid=Cj0KCQw3YBRCOARISQW3KKKK7HS7Si7BlYqzc2uQXV-HxIDHqr-fwUCU2GLA887qyRJJJJHTzw90aAsGEALw_wcB

    Future goals of any nation change as issues  arise.  A good example of a changing goal would be the environment. Over the last two decades, there have  been more concerns over how to handle business and individual impact on the environment. What should we be most concerned with in the environment? Clean water? Global warming? Deforestation? Living conditions in individual countries, as well as on the planet, have come into focus when we discuss our global economy. Whatever we as individuals or as a nation decide, there will be some type of tradeoff. If Americans decide that we should be purchasing only goods made in this country, then the tradeoff will be that we will pay more than if the product came from  a developing country. Also ,  there will be less choice since businesses may not want to carry goods made in other places if the majority of customers won’t buy foreign made products. In any case, the ability of our economic system to be flexible, to adjust to adverse conditions and for consumers to alter their behavior, will allow this economy to evolve while still providing for the goods and services that we demand.
    ::当问题出现时,任何国家的未来目标都会发生变化。 一个变化目标的好例子就是环境。 在过去二十年中,对于如何处理企业和个人对环境的影响,人们更加关注。 在环境方面,我们应该最关心什么?清洁水?全球暖化?森林砍伐?当我们讨论全球经济时,单个国家以及地球上的生活条件已经变得焦点突出。 无论我们个人或国家决定什么,都会有某种权衡。 如果美国人决定我们只购买在这个国家生产的货物,那么,我们将会付出比产品来自发展中国家时更多的代价。 此外,如果大多数客户不购买外国制造的产品,企业可能不愿意在其他地方运送货物,因此选择会更少。 无论如何,我们经济体系的灵活性、适应不利条件的能力以及消费者改变自己行为的能力将允许这一经济在仍然提供我们所需要的商品和服务的同时演变。

    Video: Should We Raise the Minimum Wage?
    ::录像:我们应该提高最低工资吗?

    Answer the self check questions below to monitor your understanding of the concepts in this section.
    ::回答下面的自我核对问题,以监测你对本节概念的理解。

     

    Self Check Questions
    ::自查问题

    1. What are the seven major goals of the U.S. economy?
    ::1. 美国经济的七项主要目标是什么?

    2. Based on your own beliefs, rank the 7 goals in order of importance from most important (#1) to least important (#7). State why you believe certain goals are more important than others.
    ::2. 根据你们自己的信仰,将7项目标按重要性排序,从最重要的(#1)排列为最不重要(#7),说明为什么你们认为某些目标比其他目标更重要。

    3. Explain how an increase in the minimum wage would cause a conflict of goals. Do you believe that the minimum wage should be increased? Why or why not?
    ::3. 解释最低工资的提高将如何导致目标冲突,你是否认为最低工资应该提高?为什么或为什么不?

    4. What are some of the economic choices consumers have to make? What about producers? Are they the same? Why or why not?
    ::4. 消费者必须作出哪些经济选择?生产者呢?生产者呢?它们是否相同?为什么或为什么没有?

    5. How do laws protect consumers and promote the goal of economic equity?
    ::5. 法律如何保护消费者和促进经济公平的目标?