Assignment: Issues of the Underground Economy
Answer the following four questions, each with an essay of 3-4 paragraphs. I expect you to provide a well-organized and convincing narrative, including proper sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. Repeating the question as part of your answer is unlikely to improve the quality of your response. I will also not look favorably on bulleted lists, sentence fragments, or other short-hand devices more suitable to an outline than a short essay.
1. We recently watched a video in which Lawrence Lessig made an impassioned plea for expansion of fair use of copyrighted material. Briefly describe the concept of fair use and the limitations that have been placed on it, especially due to the explosion of user-generated content on YouTube. Please comment on the tension between the rights of artists to maintain exclusive use of their creations versus the potential benefits from transformative reuse.
2. Illegal trade in endangered animals and animal parts has brought a number of species to the brink of extinction. Outline the features that make certain types of animals more likely to be endangered, and comment on the potential for private ownership and husbandry to alleviate or eliminate this concern. Include as a part of your response the extra difficulties presented by the extremely high value of some of these animal parts, and potential responses discussed by Allen in his paper on the Rhino's horn.
3. During the February 27th class, Dr. Jeffrey Barrows gave a forceful presentation about human trafficking in the United States. It was especially disturbing to hear that girls as young as twelve are enticed into sex trafficking, that many adult prostitutes started into the business in their early teens, and that most prostitutes are also addicted to drugs. Describe how this information would impact an economic analysis of the sex trade, especially one that might view prostitution as a market with suppliers and customers engaging in voluntary exchange of services.
4. The illegal trade in human organs brings together economics and ethical concerns in a number of troubling ways. Describe how the current organ donation system in the United States leads almost inevitably to an illegal market for organs. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a well regulated organ sale market in the US, one that likely would involve a high degree of regulation and control by the federal government.