1. Research Paper
Each student will be required to complete an original 8-10-page research paper (NOT including title page, abstract and references) to complete the course. Each student must submit his or her topic statement to the instructor by the end of Week 1 before beginning research.
The research paper must address:
· a problem, question or issue bearing on U.S. financial markets and institutions that is historically significant or currently important;
· research that demonstrates the validity and applicability of the problem, question or issue in the field
· a solution to the problem, question or issue or, if no solution is available, a discussion of alternatives that may be utilized
· a quantitative analysis of the proposed solution that demonstrates proficiency utilizing quantitative models in financial evaluations, and
· at least ten relevant sources from primary-source documents or reports, peer-reviewed journals or equivalent materials with substantive academic value, cited in the text and identified as references (e.g., Journal of Monetary Economics; American Economic Review; Journal of Political Economy; publication of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Board; official publications of publicly held financial institutions, etc.) .
The research paper must adhere to APA style requirements in all respects. Students will find a sample APA paper in the course assignment and rubrics sections. The paper must be submitted by the last day of class at the end of Week 7. Students are encouraged to submit early drafts of the paper for review and comment.
Suitable paper topics may include but are not limited to: effective regulatory control of financial crises; the impact of banking consolidation on domestic financial markets; risk management issues; the right balance, if any, between competition and regulation in financial markets; market and institutional changes to accommodate globalization; and fairness of financial systems and markets. The key point is to identify a problem or issue and offer a solution or alternative.