Extra+Credit

Contrasting Macroeconomic Opinions
Find two opinion pieces advocating different positions on an issue of macroeconomic policy (that is, they disagree about what the government should do) and write an in-depth analysis of why they differ. The issue can be anything discussed in our textbook. The expected time required for this project is 15 hours.


 * Essay Guidelines:**
 * First, summarize each opinion piece with one paragraph for each.
 * Then, identify all the major points on which they disagree. (The first half of this [|David Brooks column] is a good example - breaking down differences between Obama and Ryan into five points.)
 * Do they disagree about facts, about which economic model to use, and/or about what the objective of the policy should be?
 * What areas of agreement can you identify?
 * Often, it will not be easy to determine what points they agree and disagree on because their arguments focus on different areas. Do your best to fill in the blanks of what each author would likely agree or disagree with.
 * Next, choose two points of disagreement to evaluate in detail.
 * For disagreements about facts, trace them to a reliable source, such as a governmental statistical agency or an article in an academic journal. If sources disagree, can you understand what accounts for the differences?
 * For disagreements about economic models, how do the assumptions of the models differ? Which assumptions are more appropriate for the policy question?
 * For disagreements about the policy objective (that is, how the policy should weigh the costs and benefits to different groups), what criteria are used?
 * Finally, given what you have learned from both of their arguments, which policy would you recommend?


 * Deadlines:**
 * First draft: Apr. 19 Thurs, Apr. 21
 * A draft meeting the requirements of the assigment is needed by this date. Acceptable drafts will receive feedback about what changes are needed for the final draft to receive the extra credit.
 * Final draft: May 5 (last class day)

Get your topic (two opinion pieces) approved by the Lecturer ahead of time.


 * Length:** 750 – 1000 words

=Macroeconomic Opinion Sources= //(Please add your own suggestions..)//
 * [|Time's Top 25 blogs]
 * The opinion sections of major newspapers like: [|The New York Times], [|Wall Street Journal], and the [|Financial Times]
 * *Tip*: To access a column that is for subscribers only, type the headline into Google News - if you access it through Google, you will get free access.
 * //The Economist// [|economics blog] (or any of their articles)