Traditionally, American presidents have supported free trade--or at least less restricted trade. But the new administration has invoked tariffs and possible renegotiation of longstanding trade agreements. Academic economists are all but unanimous on the benefits of free trade, but a few dissenters say free traders live in a fantasy land, ignoring economic reality. In this debate, Dr. Michael Hudson of University of Missouri Kansas City and Peking University and Dr. Farhad Rassekh of the University of Hartford debate whether the US should pursue a policy of free trade or protectionism.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

The Erie Canal is one of the most famous man-made bodies of water in the world. Designed, financed, built, operated, and maintained by the people of New York, the canal was one of the largest public works projects ever attempted anywhere in the world when the first shovel of earth was turned near Rome, New York, on July 4, 1817. Men with talent and vision (but little training in engineering) charted the 363-mile course of the canal between Albany and Buffalo. They designed stone aqueducts to carry boats across rivers and locks to lift them over New York’s varied terrain. Thousands of laborers dug the ditch itself and built massive reservoirs to ensure the canal was constantly supplied with water. When it was completed in 1825, the Erie Canal connected the port of New York City on the Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes, dramatically transforming trade, industry, and communication in the region and across the country.

The unit has two parts. In each, students dive into inquiry to answer the compelling questions:

1. Who are some of our closest tribal neighbors, and what have they been their lifeways since time immemorial?
2. Why do people explore, and how does this lead to expansion?

Part 1 is focused on the examination of the northwest and some of the original inhabitants. Through these questions students will learn about the culture of some of their closest tribal neighbors, the Spokane Indians. The final project for Part 1 is a cultural investigation display, in which students will show what they know about the culture of the Spokane Tribe.

In Part 2, Students will also learn about forces that brought change to the northwest: fur trade era and exploration. Students will ultimately learn about the Corps of Discovery and the Oregon Trail and know the impact each had on the west. Students will finish Part 2 with a timeline activity that will reflect choice and build upon student strengths according to their skill set.

Finally, a lesson on a Tribe of the Columbia Plateau is offered as an extension, but it is strongly recommended that students get to experience this lesson.

Note that the emphasis here is on the Spokane Tribe as one of our closest tribal neighbors. In no way is this an exhaustive study nor should the tribal cultures be generalized to other tribes of the region. We understand that each tribe in our region and North America was and continues to be unique in its culture, practices, lifeways, and traditions.

Over 200 years ago, Adam Smith attempted to explain why some nations are wealthier than others. Today, the gap between rich and poor countries is even larger. The September 2017 issue of Page One Economics describes how total factor productivity contributes to economic growth and how growth leads to a rising standard of living.

Why do we exchange things? In this video, Professor Michael Munger of Duke University explains that exchange helps correct mistakes in the allocation of resources and makes everyone involved happier.

A ¥en to Trade is a set of lessons for students in the middle grades—grades 6-8. These lessons are written to help students understand the basic rationale for making trades, the gains that are possible from trade, and how trading is done between people of different countries. Each lesson teaches fundamental economic concepts such as scarcity, economic wants, resources, goods and services, opportunity cost, and money, as well as international trade concepts such as exports, imports, tariffs, quotas, exchange rates, and trade routes. Most lessons employ simulations and other active-learning strategies to engage students in the learning process and to provide experiences to help them discover why things happen as they do.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Economic globalization and inequality are spreading fast sparking interest in global value chains among both academics and policy makers For decades, the Heckscher-Ohlin model was the only method for understanding these phenomena Conflicting empirical evidence has led to a surge of theoretical models describing international trade scenarios This disjointed knowledge has made navigating the economic literature a difficult task Now, a new visual tool could help even non-specialists piece all of the evidence together in one place Using simple supply and demand diagrams, this tool offers unprecedented explanatory power Making it quick and easy for professionals and students alike to spot where popular models overlap or vary While it currently covers only neoclassical trade models... This figure is a powerful tool that could be used by virtually anyone to understand the effects of global value chains on inequality Franssen, L. (2019)..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.