Current events:
Economist and two time president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus, addresses the global economy.
How much coverage by the major news media did this story attract?
Total words about the Van Jones controversy in the New York Times: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy in the Washington Post: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy on NBC Nightly News: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy on ABC World News: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy on CBS Evening News: 0.
Not surprisingly, press accuracy rating has hit a two decade low, according to a study just released entitled: "Public Evaluations of the News Media: 1985-2009."
I hope young people are active and contacting their representatives.
Links to representatives:
The State Senator who represents the 19th District, which includes Downingtown? State Senator . . . ?
The two U.S. Senators who represent Pennsylvania are?
The Junior Senator and the Senior Senator.
What about the WhiteHouse.gov site?
I have provided no link. Why?
Web 2.0 technologies are used on the WhiteHouse.gov site. A White House decision permitted the use of persistent Internet cookies, for some applications that ran on the WhiteHouse.gov site. The policy is being reviewed currently and a bill is in Congress as well. Some applications may employ third-party cookies to be placed on the site which is a deviation from established executive-branch policy, first set down in June 2000, that leaves site visitors open to being tracked and profiled without their knowledge. Some have questioned this policy and object to tracing (such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Center for Digital Democracy). Some privacy advocates are concerned.
Privacy advocates said visitors to federal Web sites should be able to view official government information without fear of being tracked either by the government or by third parties such as YouTube or Google Inc.
A review of the research done by Greg Conti, Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You? states:
Conti addresses the genuine need to educate Google users. How much does Google know about you? Most users would conclude that the company knows more than it should. Inviting a popular search engine into our homes via computer is similar to the initial TV era, when people blissfully introduced the new media into their homes. In the privacy of their own homes or by using extremely useful business tools, many users are unaware of the pernicious aspects of the information displayed, tracked, and fed into the ubiquitous black hole of Google. Users need to know the price of Google’s utility.Cf. Computing Reviews, Dr. G. Mick Smith
Government sites may replicate, by employing third-party vendors, the extensive data collection already done by companies such as Google. On the other hand, the 4th Amendment states:
Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Review:
Quarter Grades
60% = Tests & Papers
25% = Assignments (class work & homework)
15% = Quizzes (announced & unannounced)
Semester Grade
40% of each quarter grade and 20% of the semester exam grade (Assessment)
Final Year Grade
Average of the first and second semester grades.
Email procedure:
Who got a chance to view the "Broken Window Fallacy?"
Discussion: What is your reaction? What does Dr. Williams have to say about the "Broken Windows Fallacy"?
The in-class material from yesterday, "The Story of Money," and, "The Story of Inflation" (hand-outs), are now posted on the Shanawiki page: "The Story of Money and the Story of Inflation." We can take a look at that page.
If not covered in class review the following material.
Material on scarcity is available online, e.g., on scarcity:
http://www.fte.org/teachers/programs/rightstart/curriculum/scarcityandopportunitycost.html
For HW I asked you to print out and bring to class your own copy of "Identifying Needs," "Identifying Needs – Again," and "ADAM and EVE: In the beginning there was a production possibility frontier" (or, bear in mind this is also referred to the production possibility curve, they mean the same thing).
Review the post, "Every Graph You Need To Know."
In our textbook, Core Economics, Gerard W. Stone, read "Production Possibilities," pp. 33-36, up to but not including "Economic Growth," on p. 36.
HW (you can email the answers to me (gmsmith@shanahan.org).
1. What could you be doing instead of being in class for a session of AP Economics? (List your alternatives)
2. What is your opportunity cost for being here for the next hour?
3. How do economists use the concept of opportunity cost to explain a person making a mistake?
4. What is the Opportunity Cost for a high school student to study one hour for Economics?
