Question

The fundamental argument in the Essay on the Principle of Population was that improvements in technology or increases in physical capital would lead to only temporary improvements in productivity because they would always be offset by:

a. falling land values.
b. the pressure of rising population and more workers on the supply of land.
c. rising human capital demands.
d. falling birthrates.

Answer 1

b. the pressure of rising population and more workers on the supply of land.

Step-by-step explanation:

An Essay on the Principle of Population is a book published by Thomas Robert Malthus in 1798. This book was very significant during its time period as it was one of the first comprehensive studies of population. One of the main ideas of the book is that improvements in productivity (due to technology or increases in physical capital) often do not lead to lasting improvements in society, as they are offset by rising population that puts pressure on the supply of land. This would indicate that a rising population eventually leads to a rise in poverty.