Chapter 14 Study Guide
Supranational Cooperation in the European Union
Essential Question: What forces work for and against supranational cooperation among
nations?
Geoterms you will need to know:
centrifugal force:
a force that divides people and countries
centripetal force:
a force that unites people and countries
common market:
a group of countries that acts as a single market, without trade
barriers between member countries
supranational cooperation: a form of international cooperation in which countries give
up some control of their affairs as they work together to achieve shared goals
Examples of Centripetal Forces that unite Europe
How does a common market unite Europe?
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Allowing goods and workers to travel more freely across borders
How does creation of a EU trading bloc unite Europe?
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Unites Europe by allowing EU countries to have more power in the global
economy than they would have individually.
How does the development of a supranational level of government unite Europe?
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It allows Europe to work on issues that all Europeans share, like pollution.
It strengthens Europe’s voice in world affairs.
How does the development of a European citizenship unite Europe?
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Citizens of member nations can live and work anywhere in the EU and vote in
all EU elections.
How has the European Union united Europe by promoting a common culture?
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It promotes Europe’s cultural identity.
This identity is associated with cultural symbols such as the EU flag, the EU
anthem, and Europe Day.
How does increased travel unite Europe?
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It unites Europe by allowing Europeans to begin to view Europe as one united
regions.
Examples of Centrifugal Forces that divide Europe
How do the differences between western and eastern nations divide the EU?
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Wealthier Western European countries are concerned that so much money is
being spent in Central and Eastern Europe.
Some western Europeans also worry about losing jobs to other EU workers
who are willing to work for less money.
What divisions are created by the use of the Euro?
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Divisions occur when some European nations refuse to adopt the euro.
The euro divides the EU into two groups: countries with economies stable
enough to be allowed to adopt the euro and countries with less stable
economies.
How does the desire of European countries to keep their independence divide Europe?
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Some European countries want to make their won decisions in areas life
defense and foreign affairs, especially when they disagree with EU actions.
How can the expansion of EU membership cause division?
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Cooperation becomes more difficult with more countries and cultures.
Why do languages divide the European Union?
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With more than 20 languages, communication can be difficult.
What are some other forces that contribute to divisions among European countries?
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National pride and cultural traditions are two other forces that contribute to
divisions among European countries.
Chapter 15 Study Guide
Population Dilemmas in Europe
Essential Question: How do population trends affect a country’s future?
Geoterms you will need to know:
demography:
the study of human populations, including how they change due to
births, deaths, aging, and migration.
dependency ratio:
the number of old and young dependents who don’t work
compared with the working-age population. The higher the ratio, the more young and old
people the workers have to support.
life expectancy: the average age that a person in a given population can expect to live to.
Life expectancy varies from one country to another.
replacement rate:
the total fertility rate needed for a population to replace itself.
This number varies by country, but is about 2.1 in most developed countries.
total fertility rate (TFR):
the average number of children a woman in a given
population will have in her lifetime. This number is different in different countries.
Population trends in Europe
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Europe is one of the smallest continents in area, but about an eighth of the world’s
people live there.
Europe has the oldest population of any continent.
Europe has the lowest birth rate, or number of births per 1,000 people, as a result
its population is shrinking.
Three factors that affect whether a population grows or shrinks
1. Total Fertility Rate: The average number of babies born to each woman in Europe is
low.
2. Life Expectancy: People die every day in Europe, but they don’t die as young as they
used to. Over the past century, life expectancy has increased. But, Europe does have
the oldest population of any continent.
3. People move into and out of Europe every day. Today more people are moving into
Europe than are leaving it. But not enough are coming to keep the population
stable.
A Model of Population Change:

Demographers have identified several stages of population growth. The four major
stages are shown below in the demographic transition model.
Stage 1: Low Population Growth
In this stage, high birth rates and high death rates result in little population change.
All populations begin at this stage.
Stage 2: Rapid Population Growth
In this stage, birth rates remain high as economic development begins. But death
rates fall as food supplies increase and health care improves. The result is rapid
growth.
Stage 3: Slow Population Growth
As the economy improves, birth rates drop. Death rates stay low. Population
growth begins to slow down.
Stage 4: No or Negative Population Growth
In developed countries, both birth rates and death rates drop to low levels. As a
result, there is little or no population growth. Over time, birth rates may fall behind
death rates. The result is a shrinking population.
Dilemma One: A Shrinking Population
Reasons for Europe’s low birth rates
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The finances of a family play a part in how many children people have. Housing
costs and living expenses are high in much of Europe.
Young couples often need two incomes to buy a home.
Young women usually put off having children in order to work.
In the past, mothers cared for their children at home. However, with both parents
working, they need help to care for their children during the day. Good child care
is hard to find. This discourages couples from having large families.
Family planning methods allow couples to control the number of children they
have.
Many young women put off having babies while they focus on education or a
career. Women who make this choice often have smaller families.
Problems caused by negative growth
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Fewer children need fewer schools and teachers. Over time, this means that
schools may have to close. Teachers may lose their job.
Other people who work with children may also find themselves out of work.
Toy stores and children’s clothing stores may go out of business.
Low birth rates are likely to lead to labor shortages. Businesses may not be able
to find enough workers.
Some of these businesses may move to other countries. This could hurt Europe’s
economy.
Negative growth also means fewer people to serve in the military forces. This
could weaken some countries standing in the world.
Responses to Negative Growth
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In some countries, families with three or more children receive additional
benefits, such as reduced rents and lower taxes.
Lowering the costs associated with having children. i.e. help paying for the cost of
daycare.
Many European governments now have family-friendly policies to help working
parents.
A new parent is allowed to stay home with a baby without losing his or her job.
This is called leave. During this leave, the parent is still paid.
Flexible work hours and the right to work part time.
Dilemma Two: An Aging Population
Causes of an Aging Population
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The rise in a persons’ life expectancy and the drop in birth rates. This means that
there are more old people and at the same time fewer younger people.
Europe will age even more rapidly in the years ahead because of an earlier baby
boom.
Problems caused by an aging population
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There will be more people retiring, which mean a dramatic increase in payout for
pensions. A pension is a fixed amount of money paid to a retired person by a
government or former employer. Pensions are usually paid from the time people
retire until they die.
As people age, their need for health care increases. Older people are more likely
to suffer from such diseases as cancer, diabetes, or arthritis. They are more likely
to need expensive surgeries and costly medicines.
Most European countries provide pensions and health care form the elderly.
However, the money for both comes from taxes paid by working people. This
system works as long as the dependency ratio is low.
A solution would be to increase the amount of taxes for the workforce, but there
are limits to how much workers are willing to be taxed.
Dilemma Three: A Declining Workforce
Causes of workforce decline
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More workers retire each year than join the workforce. The decline will grow
worse when the baby boomers start to retire.
Workforce decline leads to changes in dependency ratio. This is the ratio of
dependents to workers. Dependents are people too young or too old to work.
Problems caused by workforce decline
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For a business, workforce decline can mean that some businesses will leave a
country for another with a larger workforce.
Other businesses may shrink or close their doors (go out of business).
This is a huge problem for the government, because workers pay most of the taxes
that support government programs. Fewer workers will mean less tax money just
at a time when the dependency ratio is rising.
Responses to a declining workforce
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New immigration laws passed that make it easier for companies to hire skilled
workers from other countries.
Keep older workers working longer. Germany, for example, retrains older
workers. It also gives aid to companies that hire older workers. Other countries
encourage older people to work part-time or at home.
Encouraging more women to join the workforce.
Governments hope that family friendly work policies will encourage more women
to enter the workforce. i.e. flexible schedules