1. What sorts of things fall under the heading “internal improvements”?

2. What does the Constitution have to say about the federal role in making internal improvements?

3. What are some of the arguments in favor of government support of internal improvements?  Relate this to the economic concept of market failure.  In what sense does the market for internal improvements suffer from market imperfections? 

4. What was Gallatin’s 1808 plan for internal improvements?  How much was it to cost?  Who was going to pay?  Why?

5. What are some of the social benefits (over and above private benefits) that roads, canals, and other internal improvements provide to society?  (What is the distinction between a private and a social benefit?)

6. Where does Madison stand on the internal improvements?

7. How about John C. Calhoun?  Who was he?  Where was he from?  Note the discussion of Calhoun’s political odyssey  mentioned in the introduction.

8. Note that from the bottom of p. 121 through the middle of p. 127 Clay is examining the constitutional questions raised by internal improvements.  It is in these pages that you will find some of Clay's discussion of semantics.  From page 127 to page 133 Clay summarizes the views of the administrations of Jefferson, Madison and Monroe.  This discussion is reported in the introduction to this speech, pp. 115-116.   Clay finally gets to the economics on p. 133!  What is the gist of his argument here?

9. What seems to have happened over the years to the internal improvements debate?

I hope you all saw last term's exhibition in the Nott Memorial on the Erie Canal.