Date post: | 04-Jan-2016 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | suzanna-hall |
View: | 220 times |
Download: | 0 times |
Economic Troubles on the Economic Troubles on the HorizonHorizon
Things Aren’t as Good as They
Appear to Be!
Signs of TroubleSigns of TroubleMajor Industries in Trouble: -- RR vs. -- Coal Mining vs. -- Lumber Co.’s
Farmers in Trouble: -- Post WWI: crop prices -- grow more crops = prices more! -- Can’t pay debt to banks -- Banks seize farms and equipment
Consumers:
-- Buying less b/c of rising prices, stagnant wages
-- overbuying on credit (installment plan) = DEBT!
Uneven Distribution of wealth:
-- widening income gap
Signs of TroubleSigns of Trouble
Uneven Income Distribution, 1929
- Over $10,000 = 0.1% of population- 80% of families have no savings
TODAY: The poorest 90 percent of Americans make an average of $31,244 a year, while the top 1 percent make over $1.1 million:
According to this chart, most income groups have barely grown richer since 1979. But the top 1 percent has seen its income nearly quadruple:
And this chart suggests most Americans have little idea of just how unequal income distribution is; they'd like things to be divvied more equitably:
Herbert Hoover Elected Pres., 1928Herbert Hoover Elected Pres., 1928 • Laissez-Faire Republican President
• Why elected?- Continue the prosperous 1920s!
“We in America are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than ever
before.”
Party On!
Stock Market = Riches?Stock Market = Riches?* By 1929, 4 million Americans own stock (3% of pop.)
* Speculation: buying risky stocks & bonds to make a quick profit
* Buying on margin: Paying a small % of a stock’s price as a down payment and borrowing $ for the rest. An “installment plan” for stocks.
The Stock Market Crashes: The Stock Market Crashes: Oct. 29, 1929, “Black Tuesday”Oct. 29, 1929, “Black Tuesday”
• Stock market plunges on Oct. 24th
• Oct 29th: 16.4 million shares “dumped”
• People who had bought on margin now
had a huge debt
● Others lose their life savings (no ins.)
● Total investments lost = $30 billion ( = to cost of WWI)!
Financial CollapseFinancial Collapse
• Banks and other businesses go bankrupt
- By 1933 11,000 of 25,000 banks had collapsed
● 1929- 1932: 90,000 businesses go bankrupt- Gross Nat’l Product (U.S.’ total output of goods & services) is almost cut in ½
● Unemployment rises drastically-1929 = 3% unemployment rate (1.6 mill. pple)
-1933 = 25% unemployment rate (13 mill. pple)
Gov’t Reaction: Hawley-Smoot Tariff ActGov’t Reaction: Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act• highest tariff in U.S. history
• designed to protect American farmers and manufacturers– plan actually backfired
• Worldwide trade drops 40%
Causes to The Great Depression
• Tariffs lower world trade
• A crisis in the farm sector & other industries.
• The availability of easy credit = debt.• An unequal distribution of income.
Please Answer the Following Questions Below Your Notes
• 1. What were the signs of financial trouble during the 1920s?
• 2. Who was president during the crash of the Stock Market and why had he been elected?
• 3. How did speculation and buying on the margin contribute the Crash of ’29?
• 4. What were the effects of the Crash?
• 5. Explain the causes of the Great Depression in your own words.
Today’s Crisis
• Please watch the video and be ready to discuss the questions & situation after…
• Pay close attention please
Questions: Please copy ?s and answer as you watch the video
• 1. Why do investors stop buying treasury bills from the Federal Reserve?
• 2. How does lowering the federal interest rate effect credit?
• 3. Explain Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs)
• 4. Explain Credit Default Swaps
• 5. Explain Sub-Prime Mortgages
• 6. Explain Frozen Credit Markets
Homeowners
Mortgages (loans) on Houses
“Main St.”
Investormoney
Institutions (mutual funds, pension funds, insurance
co.’s)
Financial systems
Banks, brokers
“Wall St.”