1.) What kind of success did Africa have with governments that wielded great power over the different African economies?
In Zaire, this one ruler Mobute Sese Seko using the success of the rich copper mines and by increasing the copper prices, he used that money to own himself 11 palaces, and making himself the world’s wealthiest man with an estimated amount of over $3 billion.
In Tanzania, ruled by Julius Nyerere, said that his country would have no army, would be on neutral terms with the occuring cold war, would have a narrow gap between the rich and the poor, and that he won’t receive outside aid.
In conclusion, by making some of these decisions, the successes of the copper mines got the African economies some power.
2.) What are some of the major arguments advanced by the Public Choice school of economics?
Romantic view: government officials are “public servants” committed to the public good
Public choice view: individuals are self-interested and they remain self-interest when they enter government. In my opinion, that may be true to most people entering government, but not all individualists are self-interested.
Another argument view, “Why are people poorly informed about political issues and candidates?”
3.) What are front-loading and political engineering? (See the video and reading for Lesson 74.)
Front-loading~ is to distribute or allocate (costs, effort, etc.) unevenly, with the greater proportion at the beginning of the enterprise or process. Front-loading, in U.S. politics, the moving up of presidential primaries and caucuses by states, thereby increasing their influence in the selection of a party’s candidate. As a result, presidential nominees are often determined early in the election year.
Political engineering~ is the strategy of awarding contracts in as many different Congressional districts as possible. By making voters and Congressional incumbents dependent on military money, the Pentagon’s political engineers put pressure on them to continue supporting front-loaded programs even after their true costs become apparent.
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