Instructions: Responses should be approximately 2 pages single spaced (~1000 words). This assignment will challenge you to focus on the economic arguments relevant to the given debate. These arguments may include both economic theory/concepts as well as economic empirical evidence. If you think the topic is missing some key detail necessary to evaluate the alternative arguments, please feel free to make additional assumptions about the context, as long as you clearly state them and why you think it necessary to clarify. After presenting the economic arguments on both sides of the given issue, your assignment should include 1-2 paragraphs stating and explaining your own conclusion. In this conclusion, you may also highlight any limitations of the economic perspective that you think are relevant, or note other perspectives that you think would need to be considered as well.
Make sure to present the economic arguments supporting both positions in the debate (that is, you should present both the pro and con side before reaching your conclusion). You can structure your argument presenting one side fully, and then the other side fully, or you can alternate point-counterpoint. You have flexibility regarding the structure as long as you address both positions and come to a clear conclusion at the end.
Expectations for good work:
- – Reference at least 2-4 specific economic arguments (either theory/concepts or evidence). Please
underline these arguments (e.g. the topic sentences or key phrases) in your report.
- – Concepts should be selected and applied appropriately and persuasively to the specific context.
- – Must include at least 4 citations (please include citations to relevant textbook pages, and at least
one additional resource NOT on our reading list).
- – Incorporating statistics/evidence/data to support points (REPHRASE)
- – Clarifies any additional key assumptions made about the context.
- – Must include a clear statement and justification of own conclusion.
- – Use clear and concise writing. See “General Writing Tips” document for more resources.
CHOOSE EITHER A, B, C. Feel free to specify the context (country or state of your choice) if you think doing so is helpful to develop your arguments. 选一个！！！
- (a) College finance: enrollment-based versus outcomes-based funding. In an effort to improve the productivity of public colleges and universities, many US states and some other countries have shifted (or considered shifting) their funding models to fund colleges based on how many students they graduate, instead of how many students they enroll. Analyze the pros and cons of such a shift from an economic perspective.
- (b) Public vouchers for private schooling. In an effort to increase the options available to students, some US states and countries have provided (or considered providing) publicly funded vouchers that students can use at any school, including privately-run schools. Analyze the pros and cons of publicly-funded vouchers for privately-run schools from an economic perspective.
- (c) Teacher pay structure. Many countries struggle to recruit and retain qualified teachers. Consider the economic arguments for increasing teacher pay across the board, versus an incentive/bonus pay system that pays teachers more depending on their effort (e.g. attendance) and/or outcomes (e.g. student test scores).