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Gas Prices over the Years By: Billie Armstrong and Abigail Detwiller The gas prices over the years have gone up in price and value. Our problem with gas is its prices. Most of the people the United States are spending a large some of money toward fuel for their cars and homes. People need jobs so that they can live their lives but with the high gas prices it use most of their pay checks. Also oil spills because they use that oil on other things meaning less oil for us. In the 1950s gas was very cheap. It was because the people of the 50s in theUnited Stateswere energy self-sufficient. In those days we Americans had no need to import oil because we used as much as was produced. Gas was about or around $0.26 per gallon. A single gallon of gas cost twice as much as a hamburger but half as much as a movie.( "Gas Price History." //Save Gas.)// Gas remained under $1 per gallon. The Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal contributed to rising uncertainty which fueled the late seventies’ inflation crisis. The time Jimmy Carter was in office, an energy crisis hit the country and gas was hard to find. This had less to do with the average price- which remained under $1 and more to do with the government price controls. When the government tries to circumvent the laws of supply and demand to artificially set a gas price, the supply dries up.( "Gas Price History." //Save Gas.//) Reagan revolution changed the economy for the better. Price controls were removed on many items and gas prices increased, but slightly. At that time people could fill up their gas tanks for only over $1 per gallon. There were no long lines and cars following around tanker trucks in the eighties. A big spike on gas prices happened when the Iran-Iraq War broke out. Then gradually went back to normal. ("Gas Price History." //Save Gas.) //
 * Gas Prices in the Fifties:**
 * Gas Prices in the Seventies :**
 * Gas Prices in the Eighties:**


 * Reason why gas prices are so high: **


 * Gas is high because of going to other countries to get the gas.
 * We use gas to get the gas from other countries.
 * War over gas and using gas to fight the war.
 * Right now gas is $3.55 per gallon and will be about $3.59 per gallon in 2013.
 * World oil demand growth
 * Domestic supply
 * OPEC Production Restraints- The twelve OPEC countries: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
 * United states Monetary Policy Weakening the Dollar
 * Facts: **
 * 1) December 2008, the 11 members bound by quota restrictions, all but Iraq, agreed to a 4.2 million bpd production cut to keep oil prices high.
 * 2) The highest monthly average price in 2008 was 409.0 cent (July).


 * A Solution: **

Fewer cars can help. Think about it if we have fewer cars in the rode then we would need less gas. People could ride the bus or do a carpool. Use energy efficient cars that only use electricity. Most American families have two cars. Some even have three. This is in sharp contrast to the rest of the world where people either have one car or rely completely on mass transportation. Only people in major U.S. cities and those living below the poverty line currently do this in the United States. The bright side is the increased demand for public transportation will force governments to design the most efficient, most effective public transportation systems available.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">In Amsterdam, most people use bicycles for transportation. For a very low cost, you can rent a bike in one part of the city and return it in another. There are whole roads and traffic systems designed just for bikes. Having to rely on your own physical energy is the most efficient transportation system out there. As you travel around the world, more and more places are following Amsterdam's lead. Now, in many American cities, they are starting to experiment with bike rental programs.

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Works Cited "Foreign Policy Magazine." //Foreign Policy//. Web. 22 Mar. 2012.

"Gas Price History." //Save Gas//. Web. 22 Mar. 2012.

"Permanent Decline in Gas Prices?" //Gas Price Predictions//. Web. 22 Mar. 2012.

"United States Gasoline Prices 1950 to June 2009.

"Why Are Gas Prices So High?" //Institute for Energy Research//. Web. 22 Mar. 2012.