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Truth in Florida Textbooks ReviewPearson Prentice Hall – Florida Economics, Grades 9-12 (2018)Problem: Omission of Fact (OF), Half-Truth (HT), Factual Error (FE), Slant (S), Bias (B), Incorrect Terminology (IT)OF means that there is additional useful information to help students learn complete history. The author/publisher has not deliberately omitted material to fulfill an agenda. HT means that the author/publisher has presented "half of the story" and has omitted the other half for agenda-based reasons. HT leads to slant and bias.LocationQuoteProblemFact & SourcePage xxiInteractive Primary SourceColumn 1Line 2Psalm 23OFThe text does not identify this document as being part of the Bible. The Reviewer suggests the following re-write: “The Bible, Psalm 23”Page xxiInteractive Primary SourcesColumn 1Line 7First Letter to the Corinthians, PaulOFThe text does not identify this document as being part of the Bible. The Reviewer suggests the following re-write: “The Bible, First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul”Page xxiInteractive Primary SourcesColumn 1Line 8The QuranBInclusion of the entire Quran, versus a relatively small portion of the Bible and other religious text indicates bias.The Reviewer suggests that the Quranic text made available be equivalent to the amount of Biblical text presented. Topic 2.3Page 41Column 1Paragraph 4Line 5Authoritarian governments limit individual freedoms and require strict obedience from their citizens. Every communist nation has been dominated by a single dictator or political party.OFSingapore is usually depicted as having the one of the world’s highest levels of market freedom. Looking at the “Continuum of Mixed Economies” graphic on page 25, one could get the impression that personal freedom increases with market freedom. But this is not always the case; some of the most authoritarian societies are at the end points of the graphic. Singapore is an example of a single party, authoritarian regime which has leveraged free markets to the financial benefit of its population, while restricting personal liberties, such as freedom of speech. While it has a high degree of market freedom, affluence and low levels of corruption, this does not translate to a high level of civil liberty. 1The Reviewer suggests the following re-write: “Authoritarian governments limit individual freedoms and require strict obedience from their citizens. Every communist nation, such as China, has been dominated by a single dictator or political party. Singapore, while having highly free markets, limits individual freedoms.” 1 2.4Page 46Column 2Paragraph 4Line 2 Government Actions Transferring MoneyGovernments collect taxes from both households and businesses. As Figure 2.11 shows, governments then transfer some of this money to businesses and individuals for a variety of reasons, such as providing funds to save a failing industry or making payments to disabled workers. In recent years, the United States government has paid out over a trillion dollars in Social Security and Medicare benefits annually. OFThe government’s authority to redistribute income can be disputed, since it is a power not enumerated in the U.S Constitution. The Reviewer suggests the following re-write: “Government Actions Transferring MoneyGovernments collect taxes from both households and businesses. As Figure 2.11 shows, governments then transfer some of this money to businesses and individuals for a variety of reasons, such as providing funds to save a failing industry or making payments to disabled workers. However, the power to redistribute income through such transfer payments is not enumerated in the U.S. Constitution. In recent years, the United States government has paid out over a trillion dollars in Social Security and Medicare benefits ic 4.2P. 147Characteristics of a MonopolyColumn 1Paragraph 5Line 2Given the law of demand, this means that the quantity of goods sold is lower than in a market with more than one seller. FEPublic utility monopolies are an exception to this. The Reviewer suggests the following rewrite: “Given the law of demand, this means that the quantity of goods sold is lower than in a market with more than one seller. Public utility monopolies are an exception to this rule.” Topic 4.4Page 164Figure on upper page: GOVERNMENT ACTIONS Supporters of regulation and of deregulation both argue that the result is more competition. HT/BThe Reviewer suggests the following rewrite:“Supporters of regulation and of deregulation both argue that the result is more competition. Others argue that innovative markets should be rewarded with no regulation at all.”The Heartland Institute – “Changes in Attitudes: Competition Policy and the FCC” on June 17, 2014 4 Competition and Market Structures, page 170, Column 2, # 21. Writing Activity21. Writing Activity Using reliable sources, identify an industry that you think needs more or less government regulation in order to promote competition. Write a letter to your congressperson urging him or her to support regulation or deregulation. Support your argument with concepts you have learned in this lesson, and make sure that your organization and style are appropriate to your purpose and audience.The Reviewer believes that this Writing Activity should be deleted. The student does not have the capability to identify reliable sources, to analyze the marketplace and choose an industry that needs more or less government regulation. This activity is too complicated, and it is more appropriate for college ic 5.7Page 216Labor Unions Column 21st bulletLine 1Unions are weakest among white collar employees……Members argue that, just as in the private sector, these unions are needed to promote the interests of their workers. OF/HTDiscussion of labor unions in public sector is barely talked about. It is an important factor of the labor movement. The legislation allowing unionization of public sector employees was passed about the same time that private sector unions began their greatest loss of membership. As seen in the chart associated with the quote and link, density of public unions is about at the same place today as the private density was in the 1950s.“...After 1985, union density in the public sector stayed roughly even, standing at 35.9% in 2012. In the private sector, however, the figure was down to 6.6%, less than a fifth of what it had been in 1945 and only half of what it was as recently as 1985. “The Rise and Fall of Labor Unions in The U.S.”, last paragraph. 5.7Page 216Labor Unions Column 21st bullet Line 7Unionization among government workers has increased in recent decades. This growth of union membership has partially made up for losses in the private sector. Members of these unions argue that, just as in the private sector, these unions are needed to promote the interests of their workers.HT/B“All union activity is effectively political, and the current forced-unionism status quo violates workers’ rights by forcing them to engage in political activity against their will.”“Similarly, when a union endorses a political candidate or fights a bill being proposed by a state’s legislature, it claims to speak on behalf of everyone in the union, including those who don’t agree but are forced to remain members.”The Reviewer suggests the following rewrite:“Unionization among government workers has increased in recent decades. It is mandatory to be a member of the union in order to obtain a government job. This could explain the growth of union membership that has partially made up for losses in the private sector. Government workers, who willingly become members of these unions argue that, just as in the private sector, these unions are needed to promote the interests of their workers. Others could argue that forced union membership violates their rights.” Jesse Hathaway, Detroit News, Jan 8, 2018, paragraphe 5-8 6.2Page 239Money, Banking and Financial MarketsColumn 2Paragraph 2Beginning in the 1990s, U.S. banks decided to issue ‘subprime’ loans to people seeking to purchase homes. HT/OFThis statement omits the cause for the banks making these subprime loans.The seeds of the Great Recession were planted when the government in the 1990s began to encourage banks to lower mortgage qualification rules for low income applicants. Mortgage-backed securities built on dubious mortgage loans became “toxic” when the housing market took a downturn, and many American banks verged on collapse. 6.7Page 279Column 2Paragraph 1 Instead you would contact a stockbroker, a person who links buyers and sellers of stocks. HTOne can also establish an account with an online brokerage firm to buy or sell stocks inexpensively and not have to deal with a ic 6.7Page 280 Best Performing Stocks tableLine 1MFST designated as “Microsoft CorporationFENASDAQ symbol for Microsoft is ic 6.7Page 281 Option graphicBottom text: “investor does not have to use the option”ITPurpose of options is to limit loss. The Reviewer suggests the following rewrite: “option expires worthless and investor only loses the price of the option.”Topic 6Page 286 Column 1Lesson 7 StocksStocks have risen and fallen in value over time, with sharp drops during financial crises.BThe fact is that even over the 30-year period from 1926 to 1956 through the booms and busts, the market still returned over 9%. The Reviewer suggests the following rewrite: “Stocks have risen and fallen in value over time, with sharp drops during financial crises. But over the long run, returns in the stock market have been 9 to 10 percent.” 7.2Page 302What Drives Business Cycles? (section)OFGovernment regulations have a profound impact on business cycles and it wasn’t mentioned.“Fiscal and regulatory policy, technology and demographics have also had an effect on the business cycle, as have?external events such as the oil price spikes?of 1973-4 and 1979.” 7.2Page 305Column 2Paragraph 2Line 1As you read earlier, before the 1930s many economists believed that when an economy declined, it would quickly recover. This explains why, when the U.S stock market crashed in 1929, and the economy took a nosedive, President Herbert Hoover felt little need to change his economic policies.FEIn November 1929 Hoover worked to expand an existing public buildings plan and asked his secretary of commerce to establish a national system of cooperation among the states in public works projects. The Reviewer suggests the following rewrite:“As you read earlier, before the 1930s many economists believed that when an economy declined, it would quickly recover. This explains why, when the U.S stock market crashed in 1929, and the economy took a nosedive, President Herbert Hoover felt little need to change his economic policies.“When Congress convened in December [1929], the president called for ‘the expansion of the merchant marine, the regulation of inter-state distribution of electric power, the consolidation of public health services, and departmental reorganization for greater economy,’ …But this was only the beginning.”—Amity Shlaes, The Forgotten Man, A New History of the Great Depression, Chapter 3, pp. 151-160. (Harper Luxe edition 2007)Topic 7.3Page 313Column 2Paragraph 2 Lines 1-4If government raises tax rates to pay for additional services or to finance a war, households will have less money.SRaising taxes to fund government bureaucracy is consumptive spending. But the book does not make the case that funding the military to defend the country and national interests is mere consumption.The Reviewer suggests the following rewrite:“If government raises tax rates to pay for additional services or to finance a war, households will have less money.”Topic 7.5Page 325 Column1Paragraph 3Calculating the CPI (section) OFThere is no mention of the government’s financial incentive to understate this index in order to cheat the holders of government securities and hide financial mismanagement. 7.5Page 328Column 1Paragraph 2However, if the inflation rate is higher than the bank’s interest rate, savers lose money.FESavers don’t actually “lose money” per se. They lose purchasing power.The Reviewer suggests the follow rewrite: “However, if the inflation rate is higher than the bank’s interest rate, savers lose purchasing power.”Topic 7.6Page 333Column 2Paragraph 2In fact, the last two decades, the distribution of income has become less equal. Since 1977, the share of income earned by the lowest three fifths has decreased by 12 percent, while the share earned by the top 1 percent has more than doubled.HTAs presented, this is misleading. The numbers are distorted because during this period single-person households increased significantly in the lowest three fifths. The only proper comparison is per capita income. Also, looking only at statistical groups obscures the mobility of the workforce. A large majority of workers in the lower quintiles move into the upper quintiles as they grow older and more experienced., Uncommon Knowledge, Thomas Sowell, “Facts and Fallacies,” May 19, 2011, minute ic 8.2Page 359Column 1Lines 1-4.…the healthcare law passed in 2010, the purchase of health insurance may lead to a tax credit for some. Those who fail to purchase coverage may face a penalty.FEThe penalty was repealed in the tax law passed in December 2017.The Reviewer suggests the following rewrite: “…the healthcare law passed in 2010, the purchase of health insurance may lead to a tax credit for some.”Topic 8.3Page 363Column 1, Line 14It remains to be seen how this program will affect healthcare costs or access for previously uninsured Americans.OFCosts have increased by large amounts and access has decreased dramatically because many insurance companies have left the market. Some persons received insurance who didn’t have it before, but many who had it before the act lost it after the act. Having insurance is not the same as having health care. 8.4Page 365Column 1Paragraph 1Line 5Although school-related tax increases can be painful to the taxpayer, the programs they fund help ensure that students receive a quality education.FEThere’s no correlation between funding and performance.1Rather than funding classroom activities, too much of the funding goes to excessive teacher pensions negotiated with school boards elected by the teachers unions themselves. 21 8.4Page 369Column 1Paragraph 3 Line 4If so, you’ll have to pay a licensing fee.OFIn an age where unemployment is an issue, excessive greed and licensing by local officials is detrimental to the public good.The Reviewer suggests the following rewrite:“If so, you’ll have to pay a licensing fee, a regulatory burden that will add to the cost of doing business.” 8.4Page 370Column 2Paragraph 1Line 1 In Detroit’s case, a key cause of financial difficulties was the flight of its citizens to the suburbs.OFThe book omits important facts about crime and politics that forced people to leave the city. The Reviewer suggests the following rewrite: “In Detroit’s case, key causes of financial difficulties included high crime rates and the political climate, which caused the flight of its citizens to the suburbs. 9.1Page 383,How Fiscal Policy Decisions Impact the EconomyParagraph 2Fiscal policy that tries to increase output is known as expansionary policy. Fiscal policy intended to decrease output is called contractionary policy. By carefully choosing to follow expansionary or contractionary fiscal policy - and considering the costs of each - the federal government tries to make the economy grow as smoothly and sustainably as possible. HT/BWhile this may be an adequate definition of current fiscal policy, it fails to present the case that it is not the role of the government to determine economic output, in the first place. This Reviewer suggests that the location of the provision within the Constitution be cited whenever the text refers to government policy or role. It is further suggested that central planning and Socialist theory be labeled such. Topic 9.1Page 383How fiscal Policy Decisions Impact the Economy, Expansionary Fiscal Policy,Paragraph 2If the federal government increases its spending, or buys more goods and services, it triggers a chain of events that raises output and creates jobs. Government spending increases aggregate demand, which causes prices to rise, as shown in Figure 9.4. OF/HT/BWhat is omitted is that when the government removes tax-payer dollars from the economy to “trigger a chain of events,” it means that those dollars are not able to be used by people and corporations.One example is government involvement in lending, where government money crowds out private lending and the risk control that it naturally offers. 11 Topic 9.2Page 388Caption below photoDuring the Great Depression, Government spending helped people like the family shown here.FEEconomists now agree that the fiscal policies of the government during the Great Depression did not help and actually prolonged the Great Depression. 1,2 1 “But the deepest problem was the intervention, the lack of faith in the marketplace.”The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes, 2017, pg. 7, paragraph 32 “From 1929 to 1940, from Hoover to Roosevelt, government intervention helped to make the Depression Great. The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes, 2017, pg. 9, paragraph 2Topic 9.2Page 390Changing Government’s Role in the EconomyParagraph 1Line 2He reasoned that in the early 1930s, only the federal government still had the resources to spend enough to effect the whole economy. The government could, in effect, make up for the drop in private spending by buying goods and services on its own.OF/HT/BAs above, the federal government has no resources of its own, only tax dollars that it has removed from circulation in the economy. This central planning takes the control over the economy away from those that participate in it. 11 “Supplying generous capital to government made government into a competitor that the private sector could not match.”The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes, 2017, pg 11, paragraph 3This error can also be seen in the Visual Review on page 424 (“…the government buys more goods and services.”)Topic 9.2Page 390Avoiding RecessionParagraph 2The government can respond by increasing its own spending until spending by the private sector returns to a higher level.OF/HT/BThe text does not explain how spending by the private sector can return to a higher level when the government increases spending of tax dollars that belong in the private sector.Ludwig von Mises: "… there is need to emphasize the truism that a government can spend or invest only what it takes away from its citizens and that its additional spending and investment curtails the citizens' spending and investment to the full extent of its quantity."Topic 9.2Page 390,Avoiding RecessionParagraph 3After he was elected President in 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt carried out expansionary fiscal policies. His New Deal put people to work - whether planting forests, building dams and schools, or painting murals. The federal government paid for all these programs. OF/HT/BSee previous examples cited from The Forgotten Man. New Deal policies interfered with free market thus extending depression. While the subsequent paragraph explains this more accurately, this Reviewer suggests the following rewrite: “After he was elected President in 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt carried out expansionary fiscal policies. Keynesian economists believed his New Deal put people to work - whether planting forests, building dams and schools, or painting murals. The federal government used taxpayer dollars to pay for all these programs. “Topic 9.2Page 392National taxes and transfer payments, or transfers of cash from the government to consumers, stabilize economic growth.OF/HT/SThis assumes that the government has money to transfer to consumers. It doesn’t. The Reviewer suggests the following rewrite: “The government uses revenue gained by taxing, to redistribute funds in a way the government believes might stabilize economic growth.” Topic 9.2Page 394The Relationship Between Taxes and OutputParagraph 2,Line 12In general, these economists argue, taxpayers do not react strongly enough to tax cuts to increase tax revenue.OF/HT/BWhat is omitted is that taxpayers use the tax cuts to stimulate the economy themselves, rather than through the government. They go out to dinner, purchase a new car etc. Those purchases also increase tax ic 9.2Page 396A Return to KeynesParagraph 1In late 2008, the United States was hit with what many economists believed was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. A number of major financial institutions failed. Credit became harder to get, consumer spending dropped, and unemployment rose.OF/HT/BWhat is omitted is that the US Government was not an innocent bystander but its interference in the banking and loan industry, i.e. under the Department of Housing and Urban Development, pressured banks to give out subprime loans, triggering the Great Recession by flooding the market with bad loans that eventually saturated the market causing it to crash. Topic 9.2Page 396A Return to KeynesParagraph 2Line 3Obama signed a stimulus bill in February 2009 that aimed to boost demand and create jobs. The $840 billion package included contracts, grants, and loans for education, transportation, and infrastructure projects. It also included a set of tax cuts and additional entitlement payments. To many observers, such proposals seemed to signal a shift back to a Keynesian fiscal policy, as in the New Deal. Obama’s economic stimulus program received mixed reviews. The economy emerged from the recession in June 2009, but growth remained unsteady into 2013. By the middle of that year, the unemployment rate had fallen to 7.4 percent from a high of 10 percent, but that left about 12 million Americans looking for work.OF/HT/SOmissions include:Stagnated economic growth with a ballooning of the deficit to 8.5% of GDP. Topic 9.2Page 397Figure 9.13OF/HT/BThe hoped-for goal of the various programs was listed but not the cost or outcome. The student is encouraged to predict consequences without adequate information. The perhaps laudatory goals are not sufficient for judging the efficacy of consequences of a program. For example, after more than 50 years, the Headstart program has cost more than $180 billion in taxpayer dollars with no “lasting improvement in educational or social outcomes.” Topic 9.3Page 400Photo captionWhen this picture was taken in 2013, the national debt was $16.5 trillion - on its way to topping $17 trillion by the end of the year.FEWhile understanding that this is not a math text, accuracy is important. The debt clock featured actually shows a debt much closer to $16 trillion than 16.ic 9.3page 401Creating moneyThe government can create new money to pay salaries for its workers and benefits for citizens. Traditionally, governments simply printed the bills they needed. Today, the government can create money electronically by actions that effectively deposit money in people’s bank accounts. The effect is the same. HT/BThe current monetary system used by the Federal Reserve and the US Government is fractional/fiat. This means that there is nothing of value behind the currency. It would be wrong for the student to go away from this text thinking that “printing currency” or “adding money electronically” are the same as added wealth. They are not ic 9.3Page 405A Return to Deficit SpendingParagraph 3However, the surplus was short-lived. The end of the stock market boom, an economic slowdown, and a new federal income tax cut reduced federal revenues. The Islamist terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, dealt a double blow to the federal budget by disrupting the economy and imposing a new set of defense costs. OF/HT/SThis description is incomplete and fails to include the unprecedented spending that increased the national debt to over 20 trillion dollars. Particularly troublesome items include expanded entitlements, the Affordable Care Act and TARP.This error is also found in the summary for 9.3 on page 423. Topic 9.4Page 407Money Manufacturers vs. Money CreationThe U.S. Department of the Treasury is responsible for manufacturing money in the form of currency.ITArticle 1, Section 8 gives the federal government the power to coin money. This assumed that the money would be backed by gold or silver. The US Government has abrogated this responsibility to the Federal Reserve who does indeed “manufacture” money. Note: this error is also found in the summary for 9.4 on page 423 (“Banks create money by lending it into existence.”)The Heritage Guide to the Constitution by Edwin Meese III, 2005, page 114Topic 9.5Page 415Figure 9.28Poorly timed policy can create more instability than the normal business cycle. Analyze Graphs Which Scenario shown in these graphs represents the least stable economy.SThe graph appears to show a hypothetical effect of monetary policy. If this graph shows actual effect over a real time period, it should be credited with the time period, $ or GDP and source. If it is hypothetical, it is misleading and must be ic 9.5Page 416,Outside Lag,Paragraph 3,Line 6Because of the political difficulties of implementing fiscal policy, we rely to a greater extend on the Fed to use monetary policy to soften the business cycle.BThe Constitution purposely designed a system that would make legislation and policy slow. There is no provision in the Constitution for an agency owned and run by private bankers to dictate monetary policy. The students need to be informed of this ic 9.5Page 417Figure 9.30Recessions have occurred with regularity over the recent decades.OF/BThe chart begins about 1950, well after the Federal Reserve began to interfere with monetary policy. An accurate chart should reflect a period of time before the Fed was established in 1913, in order to judge the effectiveness of its policies.Summary ReviewPage 424Responsibilities of the Federal Reserve Board chartResponsibilities of the Federal Reserve BoardOF/HT/SNowhere does this chart explain that the Federal Reserve Bank has no responsibilities granted to it by the Constitution nor did it even exist prior to a secret meeting in 1910 by a group of wealthy bankers that controlled the wealth of 25% of the world’s population. Dishonest Money by Joseph Plummer, 2009, pages 2-3Topic 10.1Page 431Unequal Distribution of Resources,Paragraph 2Line 6In colonial America, a labor shortage led to the establishment of slavery. FE/OF/BSlavery goes back to the dawn of man - it was not established in Colonial America. The Arab slave trade preceded the Atlantic slave trade by at least 800 years. While the transatlantic slave trade lasted three centuries, Arab involvement in the slave trade has lasted 14 centuries and continues today.the-arab-muslim-slave-trade-of-africans-the-untold-story/ Topic 10.1Page 454 Assessment #4“Predict Consequences:…….government instituted policies……”OF, FE, S, BPublisher infers that government can attain the necessary knowledge to manipulate well the macro-economics of a country. There is no real-life evidence of that. Free markets are free of government intervention. “The world runs on individuals pursuing their self interests. The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn't construct his theory under order from a, from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn't revolutionize the automobile industry that way”. Milton Friedman 10.5Page 460A Growing Population Paragraph 2As long ago as 1798, the English economist Thomas Malthus predicted that rapid population growth would become a serious problem:SIt seems peculiar to present in an economic textbook, a prediction that has been so thoroughly proven to be wrong - as has Thomas Malthus. Malthus’ views have tragically lead to immoral policies such as the Poor Law Amendment Act (England, 1804), eugenics and China’s one-child policy. This is also referenced on page 462 as: Determine Point of View. Malthusian theory has been discredited and it not worth mentioning twice in an economics textbook as anything other than an example of incorrect ic 10.5Page 461 Upper left top paragraphStill, rapid population growth remains one of the most pressing issues facing many less developed countries. FE, S, BThis is a myth proposed to cover for bad governments. Free markets are free of government intervention. People solve problems. The reviewer suggests the following rewrite: “Socialist, central planning has difficulty keeping up with the demands of rapid population growth. This forces nations to remain less developed countries.” Topic 10.6Page 469Work Ethic and Attitudes,Paragraph 1In a planned economy, workers grow used to security.HT/BThere is no security in a planned economy, other than the security that comes from knowing there will be a “shortages of goods that people want, and surpluses of goods they don’t want.” Topic 10.6Page 473Continuing Poverty in Africa,Paragraph 2Line 4However, President Goodluck Jonathan, who became president in 2010, promised to reform the country’s electoral process, tackle corruption, and resolve Nigeria’s energy problems.OFThis information is incomplete and outdated. President Goodluck Jonathan was president from 2010 to 2015. Additionally, it is important for textbooks to discuss not just the “intentions” or “promises” of politicians and proposed programs, but to reflect upon the reality. In reality, President Goodluck Jonathan did not deliver. Topic 10.6Paage 474Different Paths in Latin AmericaParagraph 5 Venezuela also has large reserves of oil. Its leadership turned in a different direction, though. President Hugo Chavez shifted the economy away from the market system to socialism. In addition to the oil industry, Chavez nationalized agricultural, financial, telecommunication, construction, and steel companies. He promised to use money derived from the sale of oil and gas to eliminate poverty and improved health and education. These advances have yet to be seen, however. The successor to Chavez, President Nicolas Madura, is expected to continue along the same political path. HT/OF/BThis paragraph sanitizes the horrors faced by the people of Venezuela as a result of Chavez nationalizing industries and the “shift” to socialism. It is not that his “promises” to eliminate poverty and improve health and education have “yet to be seen” - it is that such promises are always made by communist and socialist dictators and always result in oppression, limited food, inferior goods, riots and reduced quality of life for the people. If students can’t read the truth about the difference between socialism and free enterprise in a high school text on economics, where will they get that vital information? Topic 10.7Page 475What causes Globalization,Paragraph 2Line 5The voyages of Columbus led to the colonization of the Americas by European sea powers and to the development of the African slave trade.OF/HT/BWhile true that the voyages of Columbus predated American colonization, the colonies were settled by people looking for religious freedom and economic opportunity. As above, the African slave trade predated the transatlantic slave trade by 800 years.the-arab-muslim-slave-trade-of-africans-the-untold-story/ Topic 10.7Page 476Trade AgreementsParagraph 1Line4Some trade agreements, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership under consideration in 2014, must pass both houses of Congress to become law.OFThis information is incomplete and outdated. The Trans-Pacific Partnership was signed by President Obama in 2016 but never ratified by Congress. President Trump withdrew the US from the agreement in January 2017. Topic 10.7Page 476Trade AgreementsParagraph 2The United States is the world’s most productive single economy, with output far exceeding that of any single nation in Europe.FEWhile American workers continue to be the most productive, in fact, China has already surpassed the US on most indicators. Destined for War by Graham Allison, 2017, page 9, paragraph 2Page 565 bottom right under “Compare and Contrast”“COMMUNISMRequires revolutionary changeGovernment is authoritarian, not democraticState ownership of factors of production”OFThe publisher left out the most important:Historically millions have been murdered under Communist rule search “Communist murders” Evaluation of Social Studies Skills and other important issuesAn evaluation of the teaching & learning devices and/or materials provided to the student.NumberQuestionsYesNo1Is the appropriate vocabulary relevant to the subject matter presented to students?For example, on comparative government are terms such as monarchy, oligarchy, democracy, socialism, fascism, and communism presented?Yes, but the horrors of communism and socialism were often glossed over, in preference for the term “central planning”2Are the captions under pictures factual?x3Are the charts and graphs relevant to the topic being presented?x4Are the maps accurate and relevant to the topic?x5Are questions thought provoking? Is adequate accurate material provided so that the students can formulate appropriate answers?x6Are primary and secondary sources presented for students to examine (for bias, propaganda, point of view, and frame of reference)? The book includes numerous primary sources, however, these sources are not referenced in topics 1-3. This did not detract from the credibility of the content of topics 1-3, however.7Does the text present a lesson on how to evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other sources, and information about the author?x8Does the textbook have a Glossary? Are key terms and personalities included and defined?x9Does the textbook have accurate timelines to help the student understand chronological historical developments?Yes, but sometimes limited timeframe to support the point of view rather than allowing the student to see the full scope10Does the textbook have an Index which includes all of the key words, historical time periods and individuals? x11Does the textbook devote a similar number of pages to each of the world religions, philosophies, political and religious leaders? Not applicableCommendations:The book’s forward material contains some Florida-centric material which would make a student feel proud and interested in his/her state. The topic summaries and visual reviews are very nicely done. The topic assessments are very nicely laid out; key concepts, critical thinking skills, document based skills, etc. The student is told exactly which skill to apply. This is highly structured, and reinforces important concepts, and helps lead the student to success. Outstanding. The book is rational and even-handed in its discussions of the world’s major economic models, showing pros and cons. However, it is enthusiastic of the free-market economy of the United States, and demonstrates its superior qualities not through flag-waving, but through solid facts and figures. It makes an extremely important and central point for the student to understand; that the most efficient way to distribute goods to the widest sector of society is through free-market pricing, while the least efficient way (and therefore the least fair way) is through government control. (p128, col 1, line 6) The topics were covered. Chapter 9 did a good job of explaining complex monetary policy using a variety of text, examples, graphs and charts. It also offered a balanced description of opposing economic viewpoints. Sections after Topic 10 are very informative necessary for students. There has been a lack of this type of information in the past, which has caused most students to be ‘financially braindead’.Concerns:Videos, quizzes, texts etc. from FloridaSS were not available for preview.Each chapter begins with instructions for a “Civic Action Project.” After selecting and researching a topic, the student is directed to seek ways to “improve the situation” and then to realize improvements in the situation through contacts with public officials (pp. 293 and 347). Such a pedagogical situation is ripe for inculcating ideological positions and agendas. The high school should recognize that solving complex social problems is difficult to do and rarely successful even by persons with much scholarship and experience behind them. Setting high school students loose on the problems is not the best use of their time, which would be better spent, for example, acquiring a more complete and accurate understanding of trade deficits (p. 314) and the reason for the rise of interest rates in the early 1980s (p. 303). Political activism is best done after knowledge and skills have been acquired. Even more important would be using the time to improve the skills of reading, writing, and thinking. For years university professors have been documenting the decline of knowledge and writing skills of high school students. The civic action project has become common in universities. These are projects that pursue social justice. The National Association of Scholars refers to this as “The New Civics.” Yet, according to Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses by Richard Arum and Josipa Raksa, students don’t learn much in college. Perhaps civic action projects aren’t the best way to spend one’s time in high school.While chapter 9 did a good job of explaining complex monetary and fiscal policy, offering a variety of opposing viewpoints, it did an inadequate job of guiding student understanding of whether or not the implementations of such non-elected agencies such as the Federal Reserve had the constitutional right to implement such policies in the first place.The text did not build upon its opportunities to compare the prosperity of free market policies with the horrors of communism and socialism.Evaluations based on templateChoicesExplanationsYesNo1This text has minor changes that need to be made2This text has a moderate number of changes3This text has substantial changes that need to be madeX4This book is so flawed that it is not recommended for adoption. ................
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