Critical Analyses. The student is to provide a brief summary and an analysis and critique of five (5) current (within six months of the date of the assignment) news stories, magazine articles, opinion columns or any combination of the aforementioned, dealing with the application of microeconomics to decision making.  In the analysis, students MUST indicate what microeconomic concept(s), principle(s), theory (theories), etc. is (are) being used (or implied) and if it (they) is (are) being used (or implied) correctly.  Note that professional journals in economics are NOT listed in the above items to be analyzed. 

In these reports, the students are, in essence, developing discussion questions and answering them.  Students are not analyzing and critiquing an entire article, just statements in the article.

The body of the reports (excluding cover page, references, and appendices) is to be no more than three (3) double-spaced, typewritten pages.  The reports MUST include the following, in addition to the body:

1. a cover page and
2. an appendix which contains a copy of the article, with the statement(s) being analyzed highlighted.

All graphs/tables are to be included in the body of the report.

Students may want to use the following subheadings in the reports:  Introduction, summary (of article), analysis, and critique [of statement(s) from the article].

I'm attaching the articles that I am using. I picked these articles based on theory of consumer behavior, elasticity of demand, indifference curve analysis of consumer equilibrium and cost analysis.http://www.knoxnews.com/story/money/business/2017/01/20/growing-sales-growing-campus-jtv/96716472/

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pottery-barn-downsizes-to-attract-younger-customers-living-in-small-spaces-2017-03-16

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oracle-continues-to-hammer-at-amazon-in-the-cloud-2017-03-15

https://www.wsj.com/articles/insurers-see-health-care-premiums-increasing-significantly-in-2018-1489686809

https://www.wsj.com/articles/marathon-sells-muscular-dystrophy-drug-after-pricing-scrutiny-1489670174.