Wk5_ECO535

Wk5_ECO535

Due: 11/2/2026

You are an economic policy advisor for a think tank that evaluates how government programs affect businesses, consumers, and the overall economy. Your task is to produce an evidence-based policy analysis report on a single government intervention program.

 

Your analysis should explain the economic theory behind the program, examine its real-world effects, and highlight how AI tools can improve program evaluation, forecasting, or administration. Your report will help decision-makers decide whether to sustain, revise, or phase out the program.

Choose 1 intervention area, and select 1 program only:

· Countercyclical fiscal policies, including:

· Relief measures in response to the Great Recession

· COVID-19 federal relief measures, like the American Rescue Plan Act

· U.S. agriculture support programs

· Support for families with lower incomes (choose 1):

· Housing vouchers

· Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), including Child Tax Credit

· Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

· Health care programs (choose 1):

· Medicaid (including CHIP)

· Affordable Care Act (ACA) expansion

· Social insurance programs (choose 1):

· Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI)

· Medicare

· Unemployment insurance

Write an 875- to 1,050-word policy analysis report about your selected program. The report should be written in a professional tone, use the suggested section headers, and include the following:

· Introduction

· Identify the program you selected and the market failure it was designed to address.

· Explain why government action was pursued instead of relying solely on markets.

· Program Impacts

· Identify who has benefited from the intervention.

· Identify who may have been unintentionally disadvantaged.

· Discuss any unintended consequences that resulted from this intervention, such as long-term fiscal effects, health outcomes, employment impacts, etc., on the groups you have identified and the economy.

· Trends and Data Research

· Analyze cost trends, participation rates, or other relevant metrics over time.

· Include at least 2 labeled and cited charts/graphs. (Use sources such as FRED, BLS, BEA, or other credible government databases.) Use your dataset as input for your AI-based forecast in the AI Integration section of your report.

· Summarize what the data in the charts reveal about economic cycles.

· Expert Perspectives

· Summarize expert perspectives on the program from at least 2 named economists, policy institutes, or academic sources. Please note that each source should have a different opinion. Make sure to include a direct quote and proper APA citation for both sources.

· AI Integration

· Use an AI tool to perform a basic forecasting or predictive analysis related to your selected program. Examples include projecting future program costs, estimating participation trends, or modeling economic impact under different conditions. Use your dataset from the Trends and Data section as the basis for your AI-generated forecast.

· Include the following in your AI forecast:

· A brief description of the AI tool used

· The input data or assumptions you provided

· The output generated by the AI tool (summarized or visualized)

· An evaluation of the output’s usefulness, accuracy, and limitations

· Explain how this AI-driven analysis could support government decision-making, program evaluation, or policy design.

· Policy Recommendation

· Recommend whether the program should continue, be modified, or phased out.

· Defend your recommendation using economic theory, data, and expert perspectives.

· Personal Reflection

· Explain how this program could affect you personally, either now or in the future.

· Conclusion

· Summarize your key findings and final recommendations.

· Appendix

· Include an appendix showing the AI tool inputs and generated outputs used to support your analysis.

 

Cite all sources used, including AI-generated content, and format your references according to APA guidelines.