Should the U.S. Government (which means, the U.S. taxpayers) have aided the automobile industry?  Why or why not?  As part of your discussion, keep in mind that the U.S. already has another successful automobile manufacturing industry, but it is not centered in the north of the country.  Toyota, Honda, Daimler-Benz, and others have manufacturing plants in the South that, although impacted by credit crunches and recessions, have done well while the Big Three struggled.

What policy towards the automakers should we pursue? Should government leaders have provided outright grants to struggling automakers; what about more loans or loan guarantees? Should we have stood back and let the market determine which companies stood or fell? Should we have encouraged mergers, and, if so, based on what criteria?