Verified Document

Assessing Economic Performance Term Paper

Country Comparision Assessing Economic Performance

The United States vs. China: An economic comparison

Increasingly, the threat of world dominance by China is used as a 'scare tactic' to raise alarm about the faltering place of the U.S. In the world economy. However, while the U.S. faces major challenges, China also faces considerable obstacles in its upward economic trajectory, particularly given its low levels of personal spending, dependence upon exports and with political concerns about its human rights record and government corruption.

The United States remains one of the most powerful nations in the developed world. Its per capita GDP is $49,800. However, this figure alone does not explain the entire 'picture' of the U.S. economy (USA, 2013, CIA Fact Book). There is a growing divide between the very poor and the very rich which could lead to problems such as political unrest, resentment, and insufficient demand for goods and services. "Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households. Since 1996, dividends and capital gains have grown...

The CIA Fact Book blames the increased technological complexity for this discrepancy, which creates a divide between 'haves' and 'have-nots' in terms of education and skills.
Although the power of the U.S. economy is undeniable, many recent economic problems have had a significant, negative impact upon it, indicating it is far from impervious to harm. "Long-term problems include stagnation of wages for lower-income families, inadequate investment in deteriorating infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, energy shortages, and sizable current account and budget deficits - including significant budget shortages for state governments" (USA, 2013, CIA Fact Book). But despite the political divisions riddled through its government, the U.S. commands a great deal of influence thanks to its history, its stability, its strong democratic tradition, and its current military and geopolitical influence. The E.U., once thought to rival the U.S. As a trading block, is facing credit-related problems of…

Sources used in this document:
References

China. (2013). CIA Fact Book. Retrieved:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html

USA. (2013). CIA Fact Book. Retrieved:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Economics When the U.S. Economy
Words: 2364 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

The Canadian government seeks to have a positive balance of payments with the United States. This is, in effect, a wealth transfer. Tracking the balance of payments vs. The exchange rate, we can see the impact of exchange rate shifts on the BOP. The Canadian balance of payments in 2004, when the exchange rate ranged from 1.17 to 1.37, was $29.8 billion. In 2008, when the exchange rate was between

Economic Challenges Canada Faces in Recent Years,
Words: 2957 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Economic Challenges Canada Faces In recent years, the challenging economic condition in Canada has emerged as a concern for citizens, policy makers and the government alike. Canada faces challenges in terms of creating a more innovative society, as the country continues to experience a significant productivity gap compared to other advanced industrial economies. The Canadian industry appears to be slower in successfully developing, applying and marketing innovative products, processes and services

Economics in Construction Industry Data
Words: 1716 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

9% 6.2% 6.3% 6.4% 6.4% 6.4% Source: Kelly, Herring (2012). Fig 3: France Construction Growth Rate (%) Source: Kelly and Herring (2012) Economic theory points out the factors leading to the decline in the construction output in France. Economic theory argues that the changes in demand for construction activities may be due to several economic factors such as changes in Gross National Product, and changes in interest rates. (Finkel, 1997). Akintola and Martin (1994) argue that the level of

Economics, Politics, Trade Geopolitical Base
Words: 7721 Length: 22 Document Type: Term Paper

For the period of the late 1960s and early 1970s, West Germany strived to assist the dollar. The United States and many other nations pushed West Germany to reassess so as to make up for the dollar excess. (Germany in the World Economy) At last, after escalating waves of conjectures, the Bretton Woods system had a collapse in August 1971. All through the post-Bretton Woods period, the deutsche mark stayed

Economic Value Added Eva : A
Words: 1062 Length: 3 Document Type: Research Proposal

The absence of these however does not detract from the general value of the article, or from the proof of the premise. Furthermore, it could also be acknowledged that the factors described, other than EVA, are already well-known in accounting, and do not need a clear explication of both strengths and weaknesses. Another factor in favor of the article and its premise is the fact that the authors acknowledge the

Economic Models of Voting
Words: 1228 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Economic Models of Voting It is generally believed that the more the economy grows (or slows down), the more all voters reward (or punish) the incumbent party for improving (or worsening) their economic situation. Presidential approval ratings often drive the results of the economic models of voting. These approval ratings are typically conceptualized as capturing both non-economic factors and other economic factors beyond near-election economic growth. This paper will discuss two

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now