Economics 342
Study Guide Questions
Midterm, Feb. 13, 2004
1. “One of the most enduring mythologies of rural life in the temperate
regions of North America has centered on the freedom resulting from
easy access to land.” (Bittermann, p. 34) Discuss the relative
importance of the major economic activities in the Maritimes before
Confederation and discuss the extent to which individuals could rely
on their own farms to provide an independent livelihood. (See
Bittermann article.)
2. Access to abundant natural resources was a motive for many settlers
to the Maritimes. Discuss the allocation of agricultural land in the
Maritimes, discussing the factors determining whether people had
access to the natural resources.
3. Discuss the impact that the National Policy tariffs had on the
Maritime economy from their imposition in 1879 into the 1920s. (See
Acheson article.)
4. The Maritimes have far less high quality farm land than Central
Canada. Using the livelihood model, explain how this resource
endowment influenced the extent of settlement in the region. What
were the implications of the amount of settlement to the future
development of the region?
5. The staples thesis argues that the nature of the linkages created by a
staple influences the extent and nature of economic development of a
region. Use the staples thesis to explain the impact of the [fishery or
forestry or coal] on the development of the economy of Atlantic
Canada.
6. The staples thesis emphasizes the role of external demand and
demand derived from the linkages of staples production on economic
development while the livelihood thesis emphasizes the capacity to
produce. Using supply and demand diagrams, discuss the factors
which determined whether a region exported a particular commodity,
imported a particular commodity or produced it for its own market
without imports or exports.
7. At the time of Confederation, products were sometimes produced
through small scale artisan or handicraft methods and sometimes
through larger scale factory production. Discuss the importance of
income per square mile in determining whether a particular
handicraft or factory production prevailed in a particular commodity
and location.
8. Many Maritimers believe that there was once a Golden Age of wood,
wind and sail when the Maritime economy was at least as prosperous
as any other region of Canada. Discuss whether the evidence about
incomes, agriculture, and manufacturing efficiency at Confederation
supports this belief. (See Inwood articles.)
9. Today, average incomes are lower in the Maritime provinces than
elsewhere in Canada. A similar situation existed in 1870. Describe the
nature of differences in income at the time of Confederation and
discuss the role of agricultural incomes in creating these differences.
(See Inwood articles.)
10. Compare and contrast the efficiency of manufacturing in the
Maritimes to that in Central Canada in the last quarter of the 19th
century and explain some of the reasons for the differences in the two
regions. (See Inwood and Gerriets.)
11. Use the staples thesis to explain the impact the staples of fish,
timber and coal had on the economy of the Maritimes. Which staple
seems to you to have been most beneficial to the region? Explain your
answer.
12. Explain why the Maritime region developed a shipbuilding and a
shipping industry in the late 19th century.
13. Shipping owning was a risky and unprofitable business that
discouraged diversification of the Maritime economy. Indicate
whether you believe this assertion to be true or false and support your
belief by discussing the nature of ship owning in the Maritimes in the
late 19th century.
14. By the 20th century, the Maritimes ceased to have an important
shipbuilding and shipowning industries. Discuss the reasons for this
change.
15. Harold Innis argued that the Maritimes failed to adapt as the
technologies of wind, wood and sail were replaced by steam and steel.
Referring to Acheson’s article, discuss whether or not the Maritimes
responded to the new industrial technologies of the late 19th and early
20th centuries.