Chapter 14: The Law Of Diminishing Marginal Returns And Population: The Survival Of Man

The New Social Studies curricula were developed in a period of wide ranging experimentation in curriculum reform, and Economics in Society incorporated several aspects of curriculum design common to the New Social Studies. However, the subject matter—economics—required us to solve some unique problems that set the curriculum apart from other NSS projects. This activity applying the law of diminishing marginal returns to the issue of population control and the limits of economic growth—illustrates this point. (We’ve also chosen the activity because this debate has become even more important in light of our recognition of the effects of human activity on global warming.)