Macroeconomics Essay

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ECW1102 Introductory Macroeconomics S2 2020

ASSIGNMENT

Individual Assignment: This is an individual assignment, so a student will not share his or

her assignment with other students.

Aim of the Assignment: This assignment tests a student’s ability to apply in a real-world

setting the concepts, theories, and models covered in the lectures and tutorials from Week 1

to Week 8. A student may, however, take the liberty to go beyond the scope of these lectures

and tutorials and use those that are yet to be covered or even beyond scope of the

recommended textbook and materials.

Content of the Assignment. Suppose you are a highly ranked policy maker in a country.

You have been asked to prepare an analytical report by evaluating the macroeconomic

policies that the country currently has implemented or is going to implement to address the

consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The evaluative report

should draw on previous failed and/or successful experiences from pandemics (such as the

Spanish flu in 1918, the Asian flu in 1957, and the Hong Kong flu in 1968) from any country.

Due date: Week 10 (5:00 pm, Monday, October 19, 2020; Malaysia time)

Value: This assignment will be graded out of 100%. Nevertheless, it will contribute 20% to

your final grade.

Word limit: 2,000 words maximum (word limit excludes all appendices, tables, figures, and

the list of references, including the titles of the tables and figures). Indicate the word count at

the end of the assignment (before the reference section begins). In exceptional cases, you may

extend the limit by 10% (i.e., do not go beyond a count of 2,200 words).

Marking Guide and Important Instructions: Please refer to pages 2 and 3.

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Marking Guide

Particulars Marks obtained Tutor’s remarks

1. Introduction

Marks: 10%

Providing a summary of the report, including

problem/background statement, topic(s), and

question(s).

2. Literature review

Marks: 20%

Providing a systematic overview of existing studies

relevant to the topic(s) and question(s).

3. Analysis

Marks: 25%

Including various macroeconomic variables,

concepts, theories, models, and designs relevant to

the topic(s) and question(s)

4. Discussion

Marks: 25%

Including constructive criticisms, views,

comments, and suggestions relevant to the topics

and questions

5. Concluding remarks

Marks: 10%

Providing a coherent, convincing, valid, and

practical conclusion.

6. Overall format, flow, and organization of the

assignment

Marks: 10%

Important Instructions 1. Choose a single country that is of interest to you. The country does not necessarily

have to be yours.

2. Provide a title of the assignment and the names of the sections (i.e., introduction,

literature review, analysis, discussion, and concluding remarks) throughout the

assignment.

3. You may choose either one, two, or more than two topics, questions, macroeconomic

variables, concepts, models, designs, and views as stated above, so long as you keep

things relevant, consistent, and cohesive. Higher marks will be allocated on the basis

not of how many you choose to include but of how consistently, coherently, and

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logically you address them or it. This is also true for choosing a pandemic. You may

want to select either one or multiple pandemics from the past as listed above. (If you

find any other pandemic that is of interest to you, take the liberty to choose it in your

assignment.) The main points that we will be looking at are the clarity, consistency,

coherence, and strength of your analysis.

4. You do not have to think too much about the differences between “Analysis and

Discussion.” I have used the two terms from a perspective that is generalized, broad,

and flexible.

5. Submission to Turnitin (via Moodle). An assignment must have a cover sheet and

include a signed declaration that the work has not been plagiarized. The assignment

cover sheet is automatically generated. Read the Faculty’s policy on plagiarism,

which is available at https://www.monash.edu/students/academic/policies/academic-

integrity . Refer to the section “Q Manual” in your Unit Guide for assistance. You

should use the APA system of referencing available at

http://www.monash.edu/business/current-students/study-resources/qmanual.pdf .

6. Upload cover sheet and assignment separately.

7. Use the references from reliable sources, including at least five peer-reviewed

journals. You must cite the references throughout the text (i.e., you should include an

in-text citation every time you refer to a published source) and provide a list of

references at the end of the assignment.

8. As noted earlier, this is an individual assignment. Strikingly similar contents of

multiple assignments that would be possible only if students were deliberately sharing

their assignments will result in zero marks for each of all these assignments.

9. Use font size 12, Times New Roman, and 1.5 spacing.

10. Submit the assignment in pdf version

11. Use file name, including your full name and student ID (e.g., Walker_John_234574)

12. Once you submit the assignment, you cannot revert the submission.

13. The plagiarism rate as calculated by Turnitin should not exceed 20%.

14. By submitting the assignment, you have agreed not to collude in this individual

assessment. Please read the intentional plagiarism and collusion statement attached.

15. We do not provide comments or feedback on the assignment before you submit it.

16. A maximum penalty of 10% of the mark allocated to this assessment task may be

deducted for each day that the assessment is late if prior approval of an extension is

not sought.