American economic

· Position Statement #2 (Due Monday, April 13th)

· Health care

Should the U.S. have nationalized health care? Yes or No

Should medical malpractice awards be limited? Yes or No

Should Obamacare be repealed? Yes or No

· Agriculture

Should U.S. farm subsidies be reduced or eliminated? Yes or No

Should the U.S. subsidize the development of biofuels (e.g., ethanol)? Yes or No

Should the U.S. eliminate food tariffs and subsidies that have harmful effects on underdeveloped countries?

· Tariffs and quotas

Do U.S. trade tariffs help the U.S. economically? Yes or No

Is Fair Trade policy superior to Free Trade policy? Yes or No

(If you choose this, be sure to define what you mean by fair trade.)

· Market power (e.g., Wal-Mart)

Is Wal-Mart good for the American economy? Yes or No

· The National Debt

Does the size of the national debt present an economic problem to the U.S.? Yes or No

Your Position Statements are to be no more than a three to four page detailed outline on the topics you select. Don’t be afraid of going to the writing center for some help and guidance in putting together your Position Statements.

In your Position Statement outlines you need to include: (1) your topic, (2) your position on the topic, (3) economic arguments against your position, (4) economic arguments for your position, (5) a brief concluding paragraph, and (6) at least three citations NOT including the textbook. Steps (3) and (4) must be done in outline form using complete sentences.

You are to submit your Position Statements on the dates they are due (a paper copy and an electronic copy are required). Points will be deducted if they are handed in late.

Your grade will be a function of the economic arguments you present both against and for your position and your economic reasoning in support of your position. For more detail, check the rubric which is on Blackboard. Your tone should be that of an economic policy maker (e.g., the chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, or the President of a branch of the Federal Reserve System), or an expert economic consultant witness testifying for a client. The point is that you should not get involved in emotional arguments that are not based on economic reasoning.

IMPORTANT:

· Use multiple reliable sources other than the textbook.

· This is an economics class. Use economics to support your points.

· Use real data (properly cited) to support your points.

Possible topics that you may select for your Position Statements are listed in another document on Blackboard.

The American Economy (ECON 0858)

Position Statement Rubric and Framework

Category Points

	1	2	3	4	5
Length of Statement/Formatting	Not of sufficient length, long winded, poor format, not in outline form	Sufficient length without being long-winded or redundant, in outline form, proper margins and font.	Well organized, easy to follow, in outline form, proper margins and font.
Spelling, Grammar, and Diction	Too many errors for a University level assignment	Many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors. choice of diction is at a minimum level	Little or no grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors, diction is acceptable for a University level assignment
Economic Foundation	Statement has nothing to do with economics	Economics plays only a supporting role in the statement	The foundation of the research is sufficient for a position statement, issues are communicated in a clear and logical manner
Understanding of Course Material	Displays no personal knowledge of the material, complete disconnect with course material	Displays minimal personal knowledge of the material, displays some connection with course material	Strong evidence of personal knowledge, strong connection between research and course material
Research	Reflects no additional research	Displays research from required text only, improper citation	Displays research from required text and outside credible source, proper citation
Use of Data	No data to support any argument	Some data incorporated into the statement	Ample data from credible sources cited properly

Highest possible score: 30 points

No double spacing; single or at most 1.5 line spacing

Suggested margins: 1”

Suggested font: Times New Roman

Position Statement Framework

(1) Position Statement Topic: Example: Eliminating the minimum wage

(2) My position is that the minimum wage should be eliminated (brief paragraph)

(3) Economic arguments against my position:

a. This is a complete sentence.

i) This is a complete sentence.

b. This is another complete sentence.

c. This is another complete sentence.

d. This is another complete sentence.

e. This is another complete sentence.

(4) Economic arguments supporting my position:

a. This is a complete sentence.

b. This is another complete sentence.

c. This is another complete sentence.

d. This is another complete sentence.

e. This is another complete sentence.

(5) Brief concluding paragraph summarizing why you believe your position is the correct one.

(6) At least three properly cited articles NOT including the textbook