International Macroeconomics Report
For this report, you will use the concepts that you have learned about macroeconomics and apply them to another country's economy. You may choose any country except the US or your home country (if it is other than the US), in order to demonstrate that you can "start from scratch" with a brand-new country that you don't know as much about. Write an analysis of the economy of that country, using the format and guidelines as given below. Write professionally, avoid plagiarism, and try to keep your analysis "positive" (not normative).
Format for Main Report:
Every page should be in Times New Roman font, 12-point size, 1-inch margins on all sides, and page numbers at the bottom. The text should be single-spaced but you may include pictures/graphs/tables that take up no more than ¼ of each page. No cover page is needed.
Page 1 - your name, course #, section #, and date. Then include a few paragraphs of an overview describing the country you chose and why, and some basic information about the country (location, geography, population, currency, etc.) and your general assessment of thecurrent state of that country's economy.
Pages 2-6 - one page for each of the following topics. (After each of the first 4 topics below, in italics, is a list of questions that should inform/motivate your analysis. You do not need to answer each one of these exactly as stated here; you should use them as guidelines to ensure that you have thought out the aspects of the economy and are doing a thorough analysis. For example, when it states that you should trace an economic measure back 15-20 years, if you have discovered in your analysis that something very interesting happened 25 years ago, you may modify your analysis to cover that time frame. Do not omit anything significant, and do not omit anything from what is expected in the 5th topic - "Summary and Recommendations".)
Inputs/Processes/Outputs:
Describe the country's basic inputs: labor force (age and genderdistribution of population; education), natural resources, and capital. How are these divided among agriculture, manufacturing, and services? What are the main outputs of the country? What are the main strengths of the country's economy (e.g. in what goods or services is it likely to have a competitive advantage)?
GDP:
Give the current gross domestic product measurement and trace it back 15-20 years. What percentages of GDP are represented by consumption, investment, government, and foreign trade?
Inflation and Unemployment:
Give the current values and trace them back 15-20 years. Explain how they are measured. Describe the effects that have been seen in both due to factors that are relevant to this country (e.g. recessions, international trade/exchange rates, etc.)
Monetary System:
Describe the currency unit, central bank powers, financial markets, and their use by business and individuals. Describe relevant changes that have happened within a time frame similar to the topics above.
Summary and Recommendations:
Based upon the analysis in the previous pages, what is the major economic challenge confronting your country? What economic policy(ies) do you recommend to resolve this problem? What do you think the outlook is for the economy of this country?
Page 7 - Sources
Please remember that "google" and "Wikipedia" are not final sources. You may do online searches to find information, but you should cite only reputable sources, i.e. government or other reputable institutions that provide similar information in the US. Don't overlook the library - the business reference librarian is a great resource for you to get to know for your future course work! Cite all sources using whichever citation style (e.g. APA, MLS, Chicago)that you already know and use for other coursework, and listed as sequentially-ordered endnotes (not footnotes, nor an alphabetized bibliography), like this. 1Then the final page would be titled "Sources" and you would include the citations in sequential order. You may use the guide available at: http://www.oberlin.edu/faculty/svolk/citation.htm for reference on how to cite various types of resources. Also look at http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/RES5e_ch10_s1-0007.html : the text pages of that document show how endnotes appear in the text and then page 7 (the "notes" page in that document) shows how they would be listed sequentially on what will be your "Sources" page.
Deliverables and Grading:
(check Bb, the syllabus, and announcements in class for due dates and updates)
1. Preliminary Country Choice (5% of total project grade)- a one page paper, single-spaced, giving your name, section#, etc. and then in about 2 paragraphs indicate what country you chose to research, why you thought it was interesting, and a synopsis of what economic information/indicators you have found or know that are available and what those sources are. This is to be submitted in hard copy, during your regular class time, on a date that is typically 4 weeks before the end of the semester.
2. Main Report (95% of total project grade) - a 6-page paper, plus references, following the guidelines as given above. The paper is due in hard copy, during your regular class time, on typically the last allowed class date of the semester. It is also possible that it will be due on the same day electronically, via "SafeAssign" or other anti-plagiarism submission site (details will be discussed in class).
Aim to make your paper interesting, thorough, and accurate. Demonstrate what you have learned in this course and that you can apply it to the economy of another country. Lateness (for either the main report or the preliminary choice of country) will incur a penalty of a deduction of 10% of the grade per day of lateness, calculated in 24-hour increments. Penalties will also apply for deviation from the guidelines given above (including formatting). Plagiarism will be dealt with strictly, in accordance with University policy.