Prepare a Gross Domestic Product World Development Indicator Report
Assignment Task:
In the first three chapters of your textbook you were exposed to the managerial roles and responsibilities, international factors, like global trade and cultural diversity, and finally, ethics applied to corporate issues. Consider the two links listed below as historical listings of budgets and statements of earnings on a national scale. You can tell a lot about what the managers, in this case a country's government, think is important by how they spend your money.
Starting with the Debt Clock link, you should note that across the top row are three buttons, State Debt Clocks, World Debt Clocks, and Debt Clock Time Machine. Using those, in addition to the opening screen of the Debt Clock and any supplemental data sources you want to use, develop answers to the following questions.
1. If the U.S. debt is growing, why doesn't the government cut back on spending and can you make any recommendations on what to cut? (Hint: You should consider the list of "Largest Budget Items" listed on the Debt Clock before making recommendations.) Your recommendations must have a reasoned explanation. Please do not simply submit your opinion.
2. Comparing two mid-western states, Missouri and Illinois, based solely on their finances, which state has better management and why? Your answer must have a reasoned explanation. Please do not simply submit your opinion.
3. Compare the amount of debt between Greece and the U.S.. Greece has been in the news because of its debt problem and the ethical issues trying to shrink the debt has had on its citizens. With that said, the debt of the U.S. seems to be growing out of control. Is there a reason for Americans to be concerned over our current debt and what about the ethics of shrinking it based on what you see or researched? Reasoned explanations please.
4. From an ethical perspective, more is being done than ever before to help the poor and needy in the U.S and still grow the economy. Compare the budget from 13 years ago and the projected budget four years from now; is the U.S. strategy working? In your opinion, why or why not? (Please note that while the assignment specifies that your opinion is a valid consideration, that opinion should be based on something besides a gut feeling. The information you've used to form that opinion here, and in any other question or assignment for that matter, should be cited as per APA guidelines in your response.)
Moving on to world development or GDP data indicators provided in the second website listed below. You should be aware that several options are available to you that you'll need to utilize to answer the remaining questions below.
*When you open the website, a chart will appear that should say "Gross Domestic Product" just above it on the top left hand side and the U.S. GDP should be shown starting around 1960 through at least 2011.
*To the left of the screen, you'll see various options for charting comparisons.
*For this exercise, skip over the listings under "World Development Indicator" and go down to the list under the words "Compare by" to start with. You can use this listing to compare regions of the world, but for now, click on the drop down menu under the word "Region" and select "Country".
5. Compare the GDP of the U.S., China, India, Germany and Japan. What are the trends toward future GDP growth indicating for each and are any of the countries likely to overtake or fall behind the others over the next 10 years?
Continuing this comparison, change the selection of "Country" back to "Region" and add the following selections to your chart without removing any of the five countries previously listed. Now add the regions North America, East Asia & Pacific, Latin America and Carribean, Europe and Central Asia, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
6. You are in charge of developing new manufacturing facilities for the overseas markets and are charged with selecting the best option for developing the overseas production of batteries and will use nano technology in production. What region and what country will you select and why?
