Assignment
Use the knowledge gleaned from this course to write an opinion piece (using microeconomic insights) on any topic of your choice, similar to editorials you might see in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, or The Economist. Assume the audience has not taken a course in Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, but has the basic understanding of intro micro.
Apply the theory to make an argument for some particular course of action or way of understanding an event, trend, etc. and explain it to your audience in everyday terms (e.g., make it understandable to your boss, a policymaker, your parents/friends, voters). This assignment is a practice in turning a high-quality technical analysis into a convincing argument for the layperson.
Your goal is to pick a topic or issue and conduct your own analysis using the skills learned in class. We will discuss examples in class. Do not repeat or summarize the content or analysis of a news article. However, articles are a good way to find a topic or issue that interests you. The analysis should be on a microeconomic topic, not macroeconomic. If you are uncertain, I can easily tell you whether the topic is valid for this assignment.
Length of the assignment. 500-700 words.
Parts to consider including in your opinion piece.
1.) Clearly and concisely describe the issue and the relevant parties affected.
2.) What does economic theory say about the behavior of individuals, households, or firms in response to the issue you are analyzing?
3.) Can you make predictions on behavior? In the short-run? In the long-run? Is there a public policy available to address the issue in a positive way (or negative way for an existing policy you don't agree with)?
4.) Concisely conclude the argument by tying it all together.
Broad Evaluation Criteria to be Used to Grade Your Paper (in descending order of importance)
CONTENT
1) Did you/the writer adequately summarize and discuss the topic?
2) Did you/the writer comprehensively cover the topic in the context of the theory learned in class? If no, what's missing?
3) Did you/the writer make some contribution of thought to the paper, or merely summarize data or publications?
ORGANIZATION
4) Was the material ordered in a way that was logical, clear, easy to follow?. 5 )Were the basic sections (Introduction, Conclusion, etc.) adequate?
6.) Is the writing concise?
GRAMMAR AND STYLE
6) Does the level of writing fit the audience?
7) Was the writer's writing style clear? Were the paragraphs and sentences cohesive?
8.) Were there any grammatical or spelling problems?
Points for Peer Review: Part of the writing process is peer review, whether in academia, journalism, or public relations. As part of this assignment, you will be asked to peer review the editorials of three of your classmates during class. I have found reviewing journal articles, and grading student writing, extremely beneficial for my own writing. More information will be given closer to when peer reviews begin.
Points for Rough Draft from Howe Writing Center: You need to contact the Howe Writing Initiative in FSB 3064 to schedule a consultation. I have discussed this assignment with HWI and they are aware of the particulars of the assignment. The consultation's purpose is to improve the drafts and get you feedback on your writing. Your writing will only improve with practice and feedback. Please visit http://www.miamioh.edu/hwi and click on Make an Appointment to use the HWI's online schedule system.