The Effect of Regime Type on Economic Growth 1. On September 17, 2011, protesters occupied Zuccotti Park in the financial district of New York as part of a movement that became known as "Occupy Wall Street" (OWS). Many of the protesters had been inspired by the popular uprisings that had occurred in Egypt and Tunisia in early 2011. The OWS protesters were opposed to what they perceived to be the undue influence of banks and multinational corporations on the political system. They believed that the wealthiest 1 percent of society had a disproportionate share of capital and political influence, and they used the slogan "We are the 99%" to highlight the problem of social and economic inequality. The OWS led to the creation of the international Occupy Movement, which has organized protests in dozens of countries around the world. The occupation of Zuccotti Park ended on November 15, 2011, when the protesters were forcibly removed by the police. Imagine that you are discussing issues of inequality and the power of the financial sector with some of the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters in the fall of 2011. How would you explain the implications of the structural dependence of the state on capital to someone who doesn't understand why left-wing parties do not always "expropriate" the rich when they come to power?

Change in labor productivity is one of the most watched international statistics of growth. Visit the St. Louis Federal Reserve website and find the data section (http://research.stlouisfed.org). Find international comparisons of labor productivity, listed under the FRED Economic database (Growth Rate of Total Labor Productivity), and compare two countries in the recent past. State what you think the reasons for differences in labor productivity could be.

How did John Mayhem Keynes define economics?

Exercise D25 What role does government play in stabilizing the economy and what are the tradeoffs that must be considered?

Explain why is it difficult to set aside funds for investment when you are in poverty.

Why is investing in girls education beneficial for growth?

Over the past 50 years, many countries have experienced an annual growth rate in real GDP per capita greater than that of the United States. Some examples are China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Does that mean the United States is regressing relative to other countries? Does that mean these countries will eventually overtake the United States in terms of the growth rate of real GDP per capita? Explain.