Historical Foundations
In which country did the Industrial Revolution begin in the late 18th century?
England (Great Britain/United Kingdom)
What term describes making large quantities of identical products using assembly lines?
Mass Production
What economic system is characterized by private ownership and profit-driven production?
Capitalism
What term describes the movement of people from rural areas to cities?
Urbanization
What is outsourcing in business?
Contracting work or production to external companies, often in other countries due to cheaper costs for specialized skills
What invention by Eli Whitney revolutionized cotton processing in 1793?
Cotton Gin
What does automation mean in manufacturing?
Using machines or technology to perform tasks with minimal human intervention
What term describes the decline of industrial activity in a region or economy?
Deindustrialization
What region in the United States experienced significant deindustrialization and population decline after the 1970s?
Rustbelt
What does "supply chain" mean in manufacturing?
The network of organizations, resources, and processes involved in producing and delivering a product to consumers
What system of production brought workers and machines together under one roof, replacing cottage industry?
Factory System
What is mechanization and how did it change textile production?
The replacement of hand tools with power-driven machines; transformed textile production by dramatically increasing speed and output
What is economic restructuring and why does it occur in industrial regions?
The transformation of an economy away from traditional industries toward new sectors; occurs due to technological change, competition, or changing market demands
What is the Sunbelt and why did it attract economic growth in the late 20th century?
Southern and southwestern U.S. region; attracted growth due to lower costs, favorable climate, less unionization, and migration from the Rustbelt
Why do companies outsource production to other countries?
Lower labor costs, fewer regulations, access to resources or specialized expertise, tax advantages
How did the division of labor principle transform manufacturing processes during industrialization?
It broke down complex tasks into simple, repetitive steps that could be performed by less-skilled workers, increasing speed and efficiency
How does the division of labor increase efficiency in mass production systems?
By breaking production into specialized tasks, workers become more efficient at their specific role, reducing training time and increasing output
Explain how capitalism drove the expansion of the factory system during the Industrial Revolution.
The profit motive encouraged entrepreneurs to invest in factories and machinery, consolidate workers, and maximize production efficiency
What factors made the Rustbelt particularly vulnerable to deindustrialization in the late 20th century?
High labor costs, aging factories, foreign competition, automation, and reliance on heavy manufacturing industries (steel, automobiles) that declined
How has outsourcing contributed to deindustrialization in developed nations?
Companies move production overseas for cheaper labor, resulting in factory closures and job losses in developed nations
Explain how mechanization during the Industrial Revolution affected both productivity and the skilled craftspeople
Mechanization dramatically increased output and reduced costs, however displaced skilled craftspeople who could no longer compete with machine production
Compare and contrast mechanization and automation in terms of their impact on workforce requirements.
Mechanization replaces human physical labor with machines but requires operators; automation replaces human decision-making and can operate with minimal human supervision
Explain how deindustrialization leads to economic restructuring.
Deindustrialization (decline of manufacturing) often necessitates economic restructuring (shifting to service, technology, or other sectors) to maintain economic stability
Compare the factors that led to the rise of the Rustbelt with those that contributed to the growth of the Sunbelt.
Rustbelt rose due to manufacturing, natural resources, and transportation networks but declined with automation and outsourcing; Sunbelt grew from lower costs, climate, and service/tech industries
Evaluate how modern global supply chains differ from the production networks that existed during the early Industrial Revolution in England.
Early Industrial Revolution had localized supply chains centered in England; modern chains are global, complex, technology-dependent, and involve multiple countries at different production stages