Biomes

1. Polar and Tundra

• Northern Canada & Alaska have cool summers, very cold winter.

• Precipitation varies. (4 to 20 inches/year)

• Ground is frozen all year except surface, which thaws in summer

2. Forest

• Canada, northwestern, northeastern, southeastern USA are forests of evergreen and broadleaf trees

• Precipitation: (between 10 and 80 inches annually)

• Temperature: vary from mild to cold in different forested areas

3. Rain Forest

• Along the Pacific Coast

• Precipitation: can reach 167 inches each year

• Rain forests with trees 300 feet tall.

• Ground is covered Moss and Lichen(smallest vegetation).

• An acre have 6,000 pounds of these tiny plants

• Temperature: moderate even in the north, seldom falling below 32F in winter

4. Grassland

• Grasslands cover the center of North America

• Precipitation: get 30 inches or more each year

• Grasses are tall and thick

• Farther west it gets less rainfall(15 inches in Alberta), grass is shorter

• People grow grain and raise cattle

5. Desert

• Precipitation of the American Southwest: less than 10 inches a year

• Plants must be able to endure harsh sun, high temperature, and little rain

• Able to survive plants: a few small trees, cacti, the hardiest bushes, shrubs

first immigrants: native

Europeans: Spanish British/French

Duties of citizens

1. Pay Taxes

2. Cast an Informed Vote

3. Serve on Juries

4. Serve in the Military

5. Obey Laws

6. volunteer for Activities that Promote the common Good

Citizenship: A combination of the duties and rights of a citizen

Democracy: rule by the majority (of the people)

Republic

• representative democracy

• The basis for all U.S. law

• written by founding fathers who believed in "limited government"

Limited government:

• restrict the power of the government

• laws that give power to the people

  
  

Constitutional amendment(change):

• change to the constitution

Bill of rights:

• list specific freedoms guaranteed to every U.S. citizen

• written after the constitution

• first 10 amendments

• list specific rights of citizens

Limiting powers of Government

state -> country(need territory, citizens, institution, resources)

Federal government

• Leaders wanted to limit government & preserve each state's right to govern itself

• National Central

• Executive: enforce laws

  • execute means to do,

  • President(Cabinet)

    
    

• Legislative: make laws

  • legislate means to make laws

  • ratify, treaties

  • Congress

    • Senate

    • House of Representative

• Judicial: judges

  • Supreme Court

    • Federal Courts

    • State Courts

    • District Courts

  • Interpret laws

• Regional states

  Republic headed by president

things the government can do

The national government

• sets up an army & navy

• issues money

• sets up postal service

• regulated trade between states

A state government

• sets up schools

• organized local government

• runs elections

• regulated trade within the states

Both

• collect taxes

• pass laws

• set up courts

• borrow money

The USA's economy is based on freedom of choice about what to buy and sell

Business openings and closings, changes in consumer and investor confidence, and shifts in unemployment are all part of the economy. People make daily choices that affect the economy. People usually meet basic needs first, then use extra money for other goods and services. The government also makes choices, using tax money for essentials.

good: physical object

service: action

Nation produces goods to -> grow their economy

expanding economy, people get better-paid jobs, so the government collects more tax

--> A strong economy can satisfy more wants for both people and the government

To sustain a growing economy, owners should keep goods and services high.

Resources: Something that is used to produce goods or services

The four Factors Of Production: the ingredients or elements needed for production to occur

• Natural Resources

  • Raw materials are used to make goods

  • Ex) land water forests minerals soil climate

• Labor Resources

  • Workers are needed with the appropriate knowledge, skills, and experience to make goods or services

  • Unskilled can also be the labor resources (ex. street cleaner)

• Capital Resources

  • Machines, Factories, and Supplies are needed

• Entrepreneurs

  • people who bring natural resources

    • Labor resources and capital resources together to produce goods and service

The United States Economy

The U.S. economy is one of the wealthiest in the world.

GDP, or gross domestic

:One way to measure a country’s economy product.

GDP: shows the total value of all goods and services a country produces in a year and allows comparisons between different countries’ economies.

The Free Enterprise or Market Economy

In a free enterprise or market economy, like in the U.S., citizens and businesses make most economic decisions with little government involvement. Business owners control production and compete in the market. The government does not decide what to produce, set prices, or assign jobs. Other countries like Canada, Japan, and many in Western Europe also have market economies

Free enterprise = Market economy

-> buyers & sellers make all decisions

vs.

Command Command

-> The government decides

Supply and Demand

• explain how price and availability are affected by how much consumers are willing to pay for an item & how much the seller decides

Consumer - who uses goods and services

• In a free enterprise or market economy, consumer helps decide what will be produced

Profit - the money that remains after all the costs of producing a product have been paid

• Sellers(all entrepreneurs) wants to increase profit

If the supply of the goods is greater than the demand, the seller must reduce the price

In a free enterprise or market economy,

-> similar goods or services

it causes Competition, which means rivalry among businesses to sell goods to consumers and make the greatest profit

• The company offer an improved product, manufactures it more cheaply or sells it at a better price

Other Economic Systems

• 3 types of economic systems

  • market economies

  • command economies

  • traditional economies

  
  

• command economies

  • The government decides the amount of goods to produce and sets the price

  • North Korea, Cuba, China(some parts)

  
  

• Traditional economies

  • Social roles & culture determine what goods and services will be produced, and price and individual incomes are, who is allowed to buy certain goods

The Global Economy

• Communication & transportation are fast and dependable -> trade easier among countries

• Movement of people, goods, ideas of the world ->(built) global economy in the U.S. is a leader

• Expanding trade

  • open new market

  • keep price low, quality hight for comsumers

Trade Barriers

Tariffs(taxes) - imported goods raise the price to the consumer and make it more difficult for other countries to compete

• Establish barriers to restrict trade because they prefer to produce their own goods & services

• Countries can support free trade

  • Example: NAFTA(free trade among the U.S., Canada, Mexico

  • Many economists believe free trade benefits all of those countries