DISCUSSION

Liberal case discussion for economic growth (two pages and 4 responses)

in order to have more interesting discussions, students with last names starting with A to J will make the liberal normative case for economic growth policies and students with last names starting with L to Z will make the conservative normative case for economic growth policies.

Primarily focus on defending your approach to increasing economic growth, persuading others to adopt your program. We have to increase something--labor, capital (investment), natural resources (land+) or knowledge (Total factor productivity, entrepreneurial ability)-or some combination of those factors. Which is the best area to work on and which is the best approach to implement change? Will it be gains from trade, doubling pay for teachers so they will teach better, eliminating taxes on interest so people will save more, eliminating capital gains taxes to get more investment, have the government take some of your money to give it to "green" industries, increasing immigration, subsidizing the birth rate, recovering on the declining labor force participation rate by eliminating unemployment insurance, limiting consumption spending by having a large national sales tax, or by some other measures? [Remember, my comments on nominal issues are to spur discussion, nothing more.] How will we pay for these proposals? Who is hurt by them?

Post your own best solution, discuss implementation, and point out the flaws in alternative approaches.