Econ writing assigns

California State University, Fullerton Prof. Fang Zhang

Department of Economics Economics 201

Writing Assignment

Final Draft due May 11

For the Writing Assignment, you need to read the article: “Sky-High California Gas Prices Have a Green

Additive” by Allysia Finley, published on July 2015 by Wall Street Journal. The article is posted on

TITANIUM in PDF (you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it). You can also view the article on

WSJ website if you have WSJ subscription: http://www.wsj.com/articles/sky-high-california-gas-prices-

have-a-green-additive-1437174504.

The article illustrates a number of economic concepts we have discussed in class. You should write a

short narrative essay that analyzes the article using the tools developed in class. Below is a guideline on

how the essay should be structured:

Format

1. Your paper should be typewritten. If you have graphs, you can either draw them using a computer (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Paint, etc.) or scan your hand-drawn graphs and then paste them into

the file.

2. The essay should be saved as a PDF or a Microsoft Word document. 3. The recommended length for the essay is 2-3 double-spaced pages. Shorter or longer essays are

welcome as long as they develop the content effectively and are sufficient for the analysis.

4. Use 12 point standard font, and 1-inch margins all around. 5. The first page should have your full name, CWID, semester, and class section. 6. You do not need a “reference” page unless you use resources outside this article. The above article

should be your primary source, but you may choose to refer to your textbook, lecture notes, or other

articles. If so, you need to cite the references following a standard citation format (e.g., APA, MLA,

and Chicago). Some sample citations are available on TITANIUM.

Content

Your essay should address ALL points 1-3 below:

1. In the first paragraph introduce your essay, say what you are going to discuss, and reference the article.

2. In the following separate paragraph(s) summarize the main points of the article. What are the main contributing factors to the high gas prices in California relative to the national average, according to

the article? Illustrate why these factors lead to high gas prices using economic concepts and principles

learned in class.

3. The article mentioned a proposal of “oil-extraction tax” by Tom Steyer to “put an end to the Big Oil giveaway”. What do you think of this proposal? How would this tax, if implemented, affect the oil

companies and consumers?

4. (Optional) Besides the factors mentioned in the article, can you think of other factors that might have led to higher gas price in California than the national average?

Submission

1. You MUST submit your essay online on TITANIUM by the due date to receive full credit. Any late assignment is subject to grade penalty as specified in the syllabus.

2. TITANIUM allows you to submit a single file with a maximum size of 20MB.

3. Only the final draft counts towards your grade. If you submitted a first draft, you still need to submit a

final draft even if no change is made.

4. Submission Instructions:

- Access the course on your TITANIUM.

- Click the submission link of the FINAL draft under “Writing Assignment”.

- Click the “upload” icon that shaped like an arrow at the bottom of the page.

- Select the “Upload a file” tab, type in the title of your essay, click “Select a file to upload”, then

choose your file.

- You may preview your document before submission.

- Confirm your submission by clicking “Accept submission-save”. This is the final step of your

submission. No revision or resubmission is allowed beyond this step.

- You should see a new icon “Digital Receipt” that confirms your submission once it is successful.

Save the receipt for your own record.