Test 4 Study Guide

This is the completed study guide for Test 4. 

Key points to be familiar with from assigned readings, videos clips, and related lectures: 

Demographic Patterns and Changes in a Globalized World: Chapter  10 Sernau

Be able to discuss and provide examples of the way demographic patterns/changes can place differing demands on governments around for the world for services to be provided to their citizens.
By examining the demographic charts from Korea, the US, and Niger, how would each most appropriately be described:  as an aging society or a young society? 
Approximately how many elderly people (counting both males and females) were there in 1990?  How many are there projected to be by 2050? 
In countries where too few children are being born, what kinds of government policies can be enacted to encourage couples to have more children? 
What period is defined as being the "Baby Boom" in the US?  How many Baby Boomers are there in the US?  How does their presence impact programs such as Social Security and Medicare? 
When did the oldest become eligible for Social Security?  When did the oldest become eligible for Medicare? 
How much do we currently spend on Social Security?  on Medicare?  How many workers now pay for each Social Security recipient's benefits? 
Barring any changes that might be made to Social Security and Medicare, what event of significance is projected to take place in 2052? 
What is the distinguishing feature of Niger demographically?  Based on an examination of Niger's demographic charts, particularly the number of people who live into their 80s, what can we infer about the quality of the health care that is provided to the youngest in the society? 

How many people currently live on the planet?  How many are in China?  How many are in India? 
In which types of countries in the world is the largest rate of population growth projected to take place? 
Be familiar with each of these key terms:  demography; demographic transition; death rate; birth rate; infant mortality; and fertility rate
How are death rates changing worldwide at this point? 
Which country in the world has the highest life expectancy at this point?  Which region of the world has the highest infant mortality rate? 
What fertility rate is necessary in a country in order to keep its population from shrinking? 
How many people worldwide have died of AIDS?  How many are infected with HIV?  Where have most of the cases occurred? 
Which country in the world spends the most on health care for its citizens? 

Urbanization in a Global World:  Chapter 9 Sernau
Be familiar with the questions from the "pop quiz" 
Where do most of the world's citizens live now, in rural or in urban areas? 
What are the 5 largest cities projected to be within 5 years? 
What is the largest city in the world today? 
What is a "primate city"?

What fraction of the population in areas such as Latin America were rural a generation or two ago?  What fraction of those populations is urban now?  How does North Carolina itself exemplify this global pattern?  How does our population growth rate compare to other states in the US today? 
How do rural/urban transformations affect the occupations people enter and the size of their families? 
How does the video clip we watched in class reflect the pattern of what happens to children who are caught up in this rural-to-urban transition? 
What is perhaps the biggest advantage to living in a large city? 

Energy in a Globalized World:  Chapter 11 Sernau
What single change could the US make as a society in order to become self sufficient in terms of our use of oil? 
What areas of employment are the 10 richest people on the Forbes list involved in? 
To what extent is the ownership of mass media today concentrated in the hands of a few people?  Is this phenomenon increasing or decreasing? 
What is meant by "the digital divide"? 
What was the last country on earth to get television? 
How is the majority of electricity in the US produced today? 
What is the main "greenhouse" gas? 
How much of the world's supply of oil is located in the Persian Gulf?   Which country has the world's largest oil reserves? 
What is meant by the term "half life" related to nuclear waste materials? 
What is the greatest danger politically of new countries developing nuclear technology in order to provide energy for their citizens? 
Which country is the leading consumer of oil? 
What four steps could reduce the pace at which the planet's climate is changing? 

Which areas of the world have implemented the types of systems of public transportation that are needed to reduce global fossil fuel consumption and to lessen environmental degradation? 
In what ways has our reliance on imported fossil fuels made us "insecure" in terms of economic factors, foreign policy concerns, environmental concerns, etc.? 
What has happened to the incidence of skin cancer and asthma rates in recent decades? 
From a public policy standpoint, what is the best way to reduce Americans' use of fossil fuels? 
How do the gas taxes of countries such as Japan and the nations of Europe compare to the rate of taxes we pay in the US?  What has been the result in terms of the extent to which their citizens rely on public as opposed to private transportation? 

How many offshore oil drilling facilities are there in the Gulf of Mexico?
How many gallons of oil did the Exxon Valdez dump into Prince William Sound?
What percentage of the oil we import in the US is used for transportation? 
What is the largest fossil fuel reserve that the US possesses? 
For each oil drilling platform that is shut down, how many jobs may be lost? 
Which American actor has gotten involved in efforts to use advanced technology to help clean up the Gulf oil spill? 

What is the key in achieving energy security? 
What has happened to the world's demand for oil in recent years?  What are the leading explanations for this? 
Which types of oil products have seen the biggest increase in demand in recent years? 
What event in Venezuela in 2002/2003 impacted the worldwide oil market and how? 
On what two occasions has the US government tapped into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve? 
What four principles does Yergin argue are necessary in order for a nation to maintain its energy security?

Technology in a Globalized World
Which portions of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution have been pointed to in order to demonstrate the belief that the Founding Fathers intended for Americans to have a right to privacy?  In what context for each of these?  
What stance has the Supreme Court taken on the issue of whether or not technology can be used in efforts to gather evidence against suspected criminals (eg:  thermal cameras, listening/recording devices)?  That is, can evidence obtained through these means be used against a defendant in court?  Which cases established these rules? 
In what way has the National Security Agency used to technology in its efforts to ensure the security of the United States?  How did the Patriot Act of 2001 alter its procedures? 
What is the status of legal challenges to the Transportation Safety Administration's use of full body scanners in airports? 
In what ways has advanced technology been used in terms of fighting wars?  eg:  the technology that is used, the targets that are selected for military strikes, etc. 

Environmental Sustainability in a Globalized World:  Sernau Chapter 12
Where does coffee rank among products sold on the world market?
What has happened to the price and availability of food as the price of energy has increased in recent years? 
What factor has been most responsible for the increases in life expectancy over the years? 
What is the dirtiest river in the US?  Why?
What has been the most common reason for the Brazilian rainforests to be cut down? 
Which area of the world has been most significantly impacted by deforestation? 
How many "Earths" would it take to be able to provide all the citizens of the world with the level of consumption that we are accustomed to in the US? 

As globalization has increased over the last decade and a half, what has happened to the demand that is placed on the planet for resources to supply the population with the things it wants? 
To what extent has the nation's and the globe's population increased over time?  When is the planet projected to hit 7 billion inhabitants? 

What does Hardin define as the greatest threat to the commons?   How do we overcome this threat? 





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