Governments Role

In every society the governement takes control. They have control of the exports, imports, the military, the people and much more. The government controls so much! It affects the output of the economy in every society. Throughout the history of the economy in the U.S. we ahve had our ups and downs in the stock market and have had many catatrophes change the economy for the better and for the worse. Everytime the United States engages in a war the economy changes. The government is forced to take people out of certain jobs and place them in a more military based job. Take WWII for example, they took people that made refrigerators or air conditioners and placed them in a facotry that helped produce guns or machinery. This changed the goals and aspritions of the economy and the peopel that make their wealth off on these certain productions. Every decision the governemnt makes affects the economy. The government in a way controls the economy. Another catastrophe that changed the economy was the attacks of 9/11. People lost their jobs and the economy started to struggle. The value of houses and property went down and peopel began struggling financially. When the United States was attacked, the terrorists hurt more people then the ones that were in the crash or in the buildings. Mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, neighbors and friends lost their jobs and struggled when the terrorists hit the US. The actions of the government can make or break the US economy.

Changing of motion

As our society begins to change so does our economy and the materials that are needed to increase the structure of the economy. With years and years accumulating more and more struggle, change, and wealth there are limited chances to improve that economy that has not already been thought of. In all the books that we have read and evaluated in this course it always leads back to one important figure... technology! Technology is an important key to the power of an increasing or decreasing economic matter. With new things being invented to help and make society even more simple then it is today, everyone must look over their shoulder and protect their back. America's economy has increased majorly at certain points becasue of a major invention that was life changing for all of society. Take refrigeration for example, this changed the economy and the lifestlyes of americans for eternity. It opened the whole meat packing industry and opened up a wide range of things to be refrigerated. It also changed the role of the house wife in American society. They no longer had to go to the store everyday, they were able to buy things in bulk and keep for a long time. It also expanded land value, which is very promient in the US. Families moved to the suberbs were they could drive 20 minutes and been in the city for their job but still be able to have all the opportunites and materials that the city provided for them. A thing that we take for granted today, refrigeration, changed the economy in so many different ways. It opened up new economies and produced more jobs for people. In the civilization game land at the begining does not seem very important. The big cities are the best places for people to live if they are not farmers. If they were farmers they must be located near a river, lake etc. so there would be a water source to create a prosperous farm. Technology provided opportunity for the American people throughtout history and still today.

The way to move forward

Heilbroner states through his book that a base of technology and technological advances are what can build the foundation of a great empire or society. Seen in my civilization IV game and throughout society today I have found that it is essential to have the advancments in technology and procedures to grow or expand a flourishing economy. In an article fromt he New York Times by Paul J Lim it reads that throughout the stock market today to create an unstability that will increase demands and supplies differently one must look to technology. This year companies that have produced a lot of money and have it ready to dispose are looking to capture new technology and open up their windows to advnace in becomnig a larger stronger force. Lim states " investors are likley to covert stocks that can produce decent earnings, and accoriding to Thomson Financial,. the sector that is suspected to produce the biggest earnings gains this year is technology." Throughout history technology has always stood one of the most significant things of economics. Producing a better material or producing that same material for less can result in a change in the market. Technology overall is great for the market and for society as a whole!

Real life

I have found that the Civilization IV game has not only taught me how to build an economy but has also taught me the history of how a society is created economically. Heilbroner speaks about the impact of industrial technology and the effect it has on the urbanization of a society. As a society builds in both agriculture strength and number of civiliians the economy will began to expand. Heilbroner talks about the effects that the history of technology has on the expanision of a civilization. Becasue of technology society as a whole no longer has to look just to farming and agriculture in the country side but can build cities that will floruish in other ways. A huge impact on the world was the invention of the internal combustion engine. Invented by Dr. N.A. Otto of Germany this engine turned the table for production worldwide. It gave economies a chance to increase their capabilites in agriculture and force there strengths elsewhere in the community. This engine increased capabilities of increasing mobility to help improve material processing. It wass a way out for nonfarmers and a chance to increase productivity in a new state. The Mangolian empire that i have been building is still in it's ealry stages and focues mainly aroudnt he agricutlural aspect of the community but with time inventions flourish to increase the production of other materials, making it effecient to put time and money into the material.

The need to grow

Civlilization IV computer game has allowed me to take what I have learned about agriculturial growth in a society and how it pertains to our everydays life. To have increasing amounts of economic activity and growth according to Helibroner it depends highly on two things agriculture and commerce. Economic weath is built within the industry that one has decided to develope. Agrcultural growth depends on many factors. Different parts of the world and the country grow different types of agriculture. For example oranges and citrus fruit is not found in upstate New York or in the middle of the US like Utah, but is found in California and Florida where it ia a wamr climate with lots of humidity. A farmer trying to produce oranges in Pittsburgh, PA will not be very successful. Location is huge when it comes to economic success. Through the civilization game location has been a huge aspect of my strategic methods of where to place my farms and cities.

I have tried very hard to place cities and towns near my agricutlure. This is very important because without people to labor the work nothing will be produced. With people flourishing in a city nearby then there will be plenty of workers to develope the fields and pastures and produce food not only for their own town but also excess. This excess will be essential to export, producing a more economic society. As the economy grows the economy can invest and begin to grow in size and in power. A society with a strong economy will ultimately rule. Look at the United States, England and China, these economies are all very strong and these three countries and a few more make up the strongest countries in the world. Economic status today and forever shows power, strength, and wealth. Everyone wants there economy to grow and now with multiple "big whig" powers in the world there will be even more urge adn push for power.

Economic problems

Right now my empire is very young and innocent. I am holding myself back from attacking other empires and trying to gain more wealth and land from battles and putting my efforts into increasing the productivity of my own empire. Economic problems that have arose deal with transportation, location of crops and pastures, and lack of industrial movement in the empire. My empire is lacking any kind of industry. Becasue there are no large towns or cities up yet it make it difficult to provide any type of economical structure other then agriculture. The lack of industry is making the empire struggle in many different ways. The economy is struggling becasue of the lack of workers, the need for a larger industry in different textiles, and the government support. Heilbroner lectures to us in his book that there are three solutions to the economic problem. One is the traditional way , whcih is the oldest and is not used very often any more. It is known as the trial and error method. This could work by starting up a small textile industry, perhaps something that woudl benefit the agricultural community. Steel could be a good source for the horses and to make different tools. Becasue my empire is in the very early ages it gives way for them to start peaking at a tradiaitonal society. The second one the Heilbroner talks about is Command. Command is where there is one higher authority that makes the disicions for the group. This is also a method that my mangolian empire holds. The head of the empire which is many ways is me that contorl of all financial beings. I deal with workers and education and agriculture and industry. There is no other input thent he computers suggestions and I do nto have to take them what so ever. The thrid theory is the market theory. What the US has today is called a market theory and it preaches that jobs are filled because it is to people's advantage to do so. If they fill the jobs it will e better for the community. The econbomy is run by everyone and their personnel actions. The main solutino that the Mangolian empire is using right now is the Command theory. The computer game will not allow the economy to turn into a market system becasue there is no way that the people will have enough influence on me (the commander) to change anything.

Figure This!

Society today revolves around the economy. In what you need to survive, food, water, shelter etc.. this is all an out put of the economy. Even back in 200 BC there was still an economy. There was an account of supply and demand for every material and business. The civilization IV game shows the econmony not as we see it today as the stock market with buying and selling of goods and services affecting everyday life but with the day-to-day trades and barders. My mangolian empire revolves around the large factor of supply that it has of agricultural ground. I have strategically placed different farm settings around my empire to produce different materials. As the game continues I try to increase the amount of farms and workers I have on these farms so I can produce more. Colander tells us that many different things will affect the amount of supply one has of a material. He labels one of these as "price of inputs," which means that each institution or"firm" is trying to make a profit. People do not sell things for the hell of it, they do it to make a profit! Each individual farm si trying to produce as much as possible to increase their profit. Technology is another big factor in shift factors of supply. Advances in technology will change the production process and can result in an increase or decrease of supply. Technology can reduce the cost of production and increase the output. Shifting in supply can also become a factor by the buyers expectations of the product or material. The product needs to be unified accross the board and always be the same. Colander preached about the shifts in the supply factor and my cilivization will benefit if it continues to increase its supply and demand together and on a stable leavel.