Assignment:
1) Research Questions
Industrial democracies like the US, Britain, and Japan are facing a dual challenge: Mounting government deficit and national debt that has reached a crisis level and an economy that is flat in growth despite huge inflow of stimulus money that acerbated that debt problem. What must be done to deal with the challenge as a nation?
In this project you are asked to answer four questions:
Examine how serious the challenge is;
1. Conduct an informal survey to find out how the public view this problem and what their preferred solutions are;
2. Study the lessons of Britain and japan in their efforts to deal with the challenge;
3. Write a report to the President of the US to outline what you think we, as a nation, should do to avoid a deepening of the crisis and revive the economy.
2) A step-by-step Plan
This research project involves four steps:
a) Read the basic material(posted on blackboard and online) and develop three charts to show the scope of the challenges the US is facing
(a) federal deficit and projection
(b) national debt and projection and
(c) economic growth and employment rate from 2008-2011;
b) Design a questionnaire (that must have at least 8 substantive questions) to find out
1) how much is the public informed of the problem and
2) what they want to do about them
c) Use the questionnaire and three chart you developed to conduct an informal survey to at least ten different people (respondents);
d) Incorporate the findings of the survey and write a 7 to 8 pages (does not include the three charts and the questionnaire itself) policy memo. The policy memo should include
- A statement of your take of the challenge this nation is facing ( if there is a crisis, if so, how serious, urgency for action, etc.);
- A summary of your survey (to whom and in what fashion), and a synopsis of responses you received from the survey and explain in what ways the results of the survey agreed with your expectations or surprised you;
- A briefly discussion of the lessons one can learn from efforts by Britian and Japan to deal with mounting budget deficit crisis;
- A memo to Obama outlining what you think the US government should do in dealing with the problem and why; listing at least three recommendations of you would have done if you were in charge.
3) How to Design a Questionnaire and Conduct Survey
1. Two types of questions
- Closed-ended question with a definitive range of answers. Example
Do you agree or disagree with the statement that the government deficit is the most serious threat to US economy?
Agree Disagree Don't know
- Open-ended question. Example
Do you believe that we can't control or reduce deficit significantly unless we raise taxes and cut spending at the same time and explain why.
- Up and downsides of both types.
2. Avoid common traps in designing a questionnaire
- Double-barreled question. Example
Do you agree that the US government is too powerful and spends too much money?
- Ambiguous question. Example
What is your income?
- A leading question. Example
President Obama is now trying to cut spending. Do you agree with the statement that this will make his economic policy even worse.
3. How to conduct a survey
- Face-to-face interview with a set of questions
- Other online survey tools
Please only use a websites for the research.