Economic analysis

ECO 2013 Spring 2019 Term

Extra Credit Assignment: Congratulations, You’re a Country Analyst!

Scenario: You are a new economic analyst recently hired by White House Foreign Relations Committee to keep the

President updated as to the economic status of countries around the world. To this end, you are to collect and compile

data and information on two countries: COLOMBIA or PERU plus one more country of your choosing (except the

United States).

In your report to the White House, you are to compare and contrast the two countries while addressing

each of the following areas:

1. Report on the current rate of INFLATION of your research countries. How does this compare to inflation in

other areas of the world? (Note: Saying “It’s higher than other areas,” or “it’s lower than other areas” is NOT

sufficient.) Will inflation be a major concern for your research countries? If yes, please explain how/why it will

affect the economy. If no, explain why it is not a current concern for the economy.

2. Report on current UNEMPLOYMENT for your research countries. How does this compare to unemployment in

other areas of the world? (Again, saying “it is higher than other areas” or “it is lower than other areas” is NOT

sufficient.) Do all people seem to be equally affected by unemployment – i.e., are some groups of people more

affected by unemployment than others? (for example, women and minorities often have higher unemployment

than other groups; in some countries, unemployment differs by region; etc.)

3. Report on the current REAL GDP for your research countries. How does this compare to other countries’ real

GDP? Now report on the GDP per capita. How does this compare to other countries’ per capita GDP? Is your

research country’s Real GDP ranking consistent with its per capita GDP ranking? If so, why? If not, why not?

4. Report on the rate of ECONOMIC GROWTH that your research countries are currently experiencing. How

does this compare to economic growth in other countries? (Again, “it is higher/lower than other countries” is NOT

sufficient.) Is this rate of growth consistent with what your country has experienced in the past (is it currently

higher than it has been, or lower than it has been?)? Why/why not?

5. Of the first four research areas (above), which area(s) do you feel are the greatest cause for concern

for your research countries? Explain.

6. Include a bibliography of all your sources.

SOURCES FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT (These are suggestions to get you started, but you don’t need to limit yourself to this list; feel free to locate additional sources. Please note Wikipedia WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.)

To help you with Recommended

sources:

URL:

Basic data on inflation,

unemployment, GDP, GDP per

capita, and growth

CIA Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

Unemployment comparisons among

groups within your research country NationMaster http://www.nationmaster.com/index.php

For additional insight into the

effects of inflation on the country, the effects of unemployment, if/why

certain groups within the country

are more affected by unemployment

than others, etc., it’s good to keep

an eye on current events…

The Economist

Magazine http://www.economist.com/

NPR http://www.npr.org/ The Christian

Science Monitor http://www.csmonitor.com/

The Wall Street

Journal http://online.wsj.com/home-page

Citing your online sources

Montgomery

College Library

(Montgomery

County, MD)

http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/library/citinginternet.pdf

Creating a bibliography EasyBib website http://www.easybib.com/

The extra credit assignment will ADD up to 3.0% of your final grade (range of scores will be 0 – 3.0%).

This is an individual assignment. No group work will be accepted.

To select your two countries (Peru or Colombia PLUS one more country), please post it on the Discussion

Board. Your faculty member will approve or reject your two countries.

No two students may have the same two countries for this assignment. Please check the discussion board

posts to ensure that your two countries have not already been selected by another student.