1. Big Business and Monopolies
More than Just a game

2. Why did Big Business grow?
Availability of work force
National markets created by transportation
Lower-cost production
Inventions
Advertising
Financial resources
Access to raw materials and energy

3. Key Terms
Dividend – a sum of money paid to shareholders of a corporation out of earnings.
Shareholder – a holder or owner of shares, especially in a company or corporation.
Captain of Industry – the head of a large business firm.

4. Pittsburg – Steel Detroit – Automobile Chicago – Meat Packing
Industrial Cities
Pittsburg – Steel
Detroit – Automobile
Chicago – Meat Packing
New England - Textile

5. Important People John D. Rockefeller Andrew Carnegie Henry Ford
Standard Oil
Andrew Carnegie
Steel
Henry Ford
Automobile
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Railroad

6. Top 10 Largest American Companies in 2006
Company
Industry 1
Wal-Mart
Retailing 2
Exxon-Mobil
Oil & Gas Operations 3
General Motors
Automobile 4
Chevron 5
Ford Motor Company 6
ConocoPhillips 7
General Electric
Conglomerates 8
Citigroup
Banking 9
AIG
Insurance 10
IBM
Software & Services

7. Questions 1. What are the three largest American companies?
Wal-Mart, Exxon-Mobil, General Motors
2. Which industry is the represented the most on the top 10 list?
Oil & Gas Operations
3. Why is Wal-Mart the largest American company when it sells everything cheaper?
Global store, millions of stores.
4. Which companies do you think are on the rise? On the fall?
Technology
Automobile

8. With your partner analyze the political cartoon and answer the following questions:
The Standard Oil Octopus is an example of the control that monopolies had over the economy and the government. This cartoon was published in 1904 during Teddy Roosevelt's presidency. The only thing not under control of the octopus is the White House. President Roosevelt is using the Sherman Anti-trust Act to regulate the monopolies.
1. What company does the octopus represent?
Standard Oil
2. What object is the octopus grabbing and controlling?
U.S. Capitol, Shipping Industries, State House, Steel and Copper Industries.
3. According to the artist is the octopus a monopoly? Why/why not?
Yes and opinion
4. Do you think the artist likes monopolies? Why/why not?
Opinion
Bonus: What other industries were dominated by monopolies at the beginning of the 1900s?
Railroads

9. Standard Oil and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act
With your partner read the article and answer the questions.

10. Monopoly Defined
Monopoly is a market structure in which there is a single supplier of a good or service. Also, a firm that is the single supplier of a good or service for which there are no close substitutes; also known as monopolist.

11. The Benefits of Competition
Competition forces producers to operate efficiently.
Competition lowers prices.
Competition improves the quality of goods and services.
Competition forces producers to be innovative.

12. Natural Monopolies: An Exception to Competition
Some cases exist where competition is not the best alternative.
Natural monopolies arise where the operation of one firm lowers industry costs compared to the operation of several firms in the industry.
Examples of natural monopolies include utilities which provide:
Electricity
Local Telephone
Natural Gas
Water
Sewerage
Cable

13. One more thing….
Read: Let’s Play Monopoly on your own and answer the questions. When you finish, turn in your handout/notes and pick up your homework.
Next class, be ready to play a new version on monopoly.