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African Government and Econ Study Guide
Complete the table:
Country:
Government:
Kenya
-Republic
-Parliamentary Democracy
-Legislature is unicameral-one
house
called the National Assembly
Economy (include the currency
type):
Mixed Economy
Focus on commercial farming and
cotton/textile manufacturing
Currency-Shilling
Nigeria
Federal Republic
Government corruption due to the
amount of oil profits
Mixed Economy with government
corruption.
Specialize in the oil industry
Currency- Naira
Sudan
Dictatorship but has an elected
legislature
Mixed-Command Economy
Currency-Sudanese Pound
South
Africa
Republic
Parliamentary Democracy
Bicameral-two houses in the
legislative branch
Mixed-Market Economy
Specialize in service industry, gold
and diamonds
Currency-Rand
1. Which 3 questions do all economic systems have to answer?
 What to produce?
 How to produce?
 For whom to produce?
2. What does ECOWAS stand for? What was their goal?
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of
fifteen West African countries that joined together to improve their economies.
3. What natural trade barriers are most prominent in Africa?
 Sahara Desert and Rainforest
4. Why are exchange rates needed?
 Currencies have different values and the exchange rate determines how the values
convert so that countries can trade.
5. How does a Federal government distribute power?
Federal-Power is shared between the central government and local governments. For example
the U.S has a central government in Washington D.C and we have local governments in Atlanta
and Lawrenceville that share responsibilities.
6. Describe the 2 types of Democracies.
 Parliamentary-citizens vote for the legislative branch (Parliament) and they select the
Prime Minister
 Presidential- citizens vote directly for the President.
7. How has oil impacted Nigeria’s government and economy?
Oil has brought large profits but has created government corruption.
8. Who decides what is produced in a market economy? Individuals/consumers
9. Who decides what is produced in a command economy? government
10.Most governments have what type of economy? Mixed economies where there are private
businesses and consumers have choices but the government protects the consumers.
How would you describe this type of economy?
Mixed economies where there are private businesses and consumers have choices but the
government protects the consumers.
11.What is the main reason Africa has so many health issues today?
Unstable governments, poverty, Drugs are very expensive
12.In Nigeria’s government, power is divided between Central and regional authorities. This
is an example of which government type?
Federal
13.Kenya is a Republic. Sudan and South Africa are also Republics. Compare and contrast
these three republics.
See chart on front page
Although Sudan is a republic it is actually a dictatorship so the ruler makes all of the
decisions.
14.What are the effects AIDS has on the African continent?
Increase in the number of orphans, millions of deaths
15.Why is malaria problematic in Africa?
There is no immunization. The best way to prevent malaria is through insecticides and nets.
16.How does the literacy rate vary in countries in Africa?
Men have a higher literacy rate than women. Kenya and South Africa have higher literacy rates
than Sudan. Higher literacy rate often means a higher standard of living and a higher GDP.
17.Is there a difference between an autocratic and unitary government? YES Autocratic means
that the country is ruled by one person. Unitary means that the country is organized in one
central location.
Definition: One ruler controls
Example:
18. Autocratic the country. Citizens have no
Sudan
rights.
19. Oligarchy
20.
Democratic
A small group of people control
the country.
South Africa before 1994 (Apartheid)
Parliamentary
Presidential
Citizens vote and have personal
freedoms
South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria
Nigeria’s government is more corrupt
because of its oil profits.
How is the power distributed in a…….
21. Unitary Government? Central government distributes the power
22. Federal Government? Central government and local governments share/divide up power
among them.
23. Confederate Government? Smaller local governments hold more power than the central
government.
24. What is the difference between……
Parliamentary- Citizens vote
Presidential-
Citizens vote directly for
the president. (Republic)
for the legislature and the
legislature selects the Prime
Minister. (Republic)
27. Systems of government-How the government is organized (Distribution of power)
28. Types of Government-Citizen Participation (who rules…. Can the citizens vote or is there a
dictator or small group of people that control the country.
Additional Test Information
Factors of economic growth?
1. Human Capital-training and education of the workers (Africa must invest in education)
2. Capital Goods- tools, machinery and technology
3. Entrepreneurship-Starting your own business or inventing something new.
4. Natural Resources
Who benefits from trade barriers?
1. Domestic/Local businesses
Study Guide Continued
1. Investing in the welfare and training of workers would be an investment in which factor of economic
growth? Human Capital
2. What is often the relationship between literacy rate and standard of living? The higher the literacy
rate the higher the standard of living
3. Who makes the decisions in an autocracy? The ruler
4. What is often the name of the leader in a Parliamentary Democracy? Prime Minister
5. What does Nigeria specialize in? Oil
6. What does unicameral mean? One law making body in the legislative branch
7. What major African country has a unicameral legislature? Kenya
8. How is the leader chosen in a Parliamentary Democracy different than a Presidential Democracy?
Leader of a Parliamentary Democracy is selected by the legislative branch. Leader of a Presidential
Democracy is elected directly by the citizens (in a separate vote than the legislature)
9. How are the literacy rates of boys different than girls in most African countries? Literacy rate for boys
is higher than the literacy rate for girls
10. Who makes most of the decisions in Sudan’s government? President of the National Congress Party
11. What type of government did South Africa have during apartheid? Oligarchy
12. Why did countries have an embargo on South Africa? Because they disagreed with the policies of
Apartheid so they blocked all trade with them.
13. What economic term means not having enough of a product (shortage)? Scarcity
14. What type of government has the legislative branch select the leader of the country?
Parliamentary Democracy
15. What system of government does Nigeria have? Federal (Central and regional divide power)
16. How does the leader of South Africa get selected? Elected by the National Assembly
17. South Africa specializes in gold and diamonds but its economy depends primarily on which industry to
increase its GDP? Service Industry
18. What economic system does South Africa have? Mixed Economy
19. What economic system is operated by consumers (individual choice), producers, and private
businesses? Market Economy
20. What is a republic? People vote for representatives that make the laws and important decisions. How
is Sudan’s government not a republic? People vote but the leader acts like a dictator
21. What type of government is controlled by a small group of people? Oligarchy
22. What helps prevent the spread of AIDS? Education and prevention
23. Why do countries need exchange rates? So they can trade (buy and sell) goods with countries that
have different currencies.
24. How does specialization impact international trade? Allows countries to produce quality goods more
efficiently making it easier to trade with other countries to get products that they cannot produce
well within their country.
25. What is a tariff, quota, embargo, and sanction?
Tariff-tax on imported goods (benefits businesses competing with imports)
Quota-limit on imported goods
Embargo-blockage of imported goods
Sanctions-government restrictions on trade