Macroeconomic

Term Paper Guidelines

Think like an economist

“Economists try to address their subject with a scientist’s objectivity. They approach the study of the economy in much the same way as a physicist approaches the study of matter and a biologist approaches the study of life: They devise theories, collect data, and then analyze these data in an attempt to verify or refute their theories “ Gregory Mankiw

For your paper assignment, you need to analyze a current event, a news article,  or a social media post  like an economist.

Choose a topic/event/issue that interest you.  How does it affect the individual, society and world?

For example: you can choose to study trade. Find a social media post or a news article that talks about it. Study the truth behind it. How does trade affect you as a person, us as a nation and us in a globalized world?

How to do that?

• You need to evaluate facts
• You need to distinguish between normative and positive statements
• You need to make assumptions
• Think in terms of alternatives
• Evaluate the cost of individual and social choices
• Examine and understand how events and issues are related
• Remember the 5 foundations of economics:

1. incentives matter
   2. life is about trade-offs
   3. opportunity costs
   4. marginal thinking
   5. trade creates value

 Do any of these apply to your paper? How so?

You must

• Be creative
• Have fun
• Cite following APA standards

For ideas you can brown the following resources:

• Planet Money
• The economist
• Come see me during office hours

Citations:

Style guide for Academic Writing: OWL at Purdue, particularly the guide to “Academic Writing”

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/2/

Links to an external site.

Citation guide: APA

APA Guidebook: Available at library reference desk

Online tutorial:http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx(Links to an external site.

Purdue Owl: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/(Links to an external site.

When to cite?

Submission:

5 pages long

Must include bibliography

Grading:

You will be graded for

• Format
• Proper use of citations
• Correct use of economic concepts
• Analysis
• Grammar and punctuation
• Citations: Failure to cite any material used is ground for failing the paper and the class.