Assignment:
Fiscal Policy Paper:
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:
• 1-inch margins all around (we will measure, YOU must make sure that your printer is printing correctly, this is not my or the grader's responsibility, it is yours.)
• Please use MLA formatting for your references.
• Use a clear, readable, font such as Verdana, Calibri, Tahoma or Arial, etc. Please be consistent and use the same font throughout.
• Use black text on a white background. Avoid colored backgrounds or text in a color other than black unless you have special permission to use them (for example, if you're dyslexic).
• Use 12-point font for the body of your assignment.
• Use double spacing, only one-line space between paragraphs
• Left-justify your work (also known as left-aligned).
• Use bold for headings. Not underlining or italics.
• You must have 50 FULL lines of text at the minimum and 100 FULL lines of text at the maximum.
• You must have a(n) Title, Introduction, Thesis Statement, Transitions, Topic Sentences, Body Paragraphs, Conclusion, and References Page(s).
• As well as a reference page, parenthetical references are required within the text of the paper. The reference page(s) DO NOT count towards your 50 to 100 FULL lines of text.
• Graphs and Tables are required for the Article Understanding assignments. These (Graphs and Tables) should each have their own page with a title (on the top of the page) and a description of no less than two sentences (below the table or graph). These pages DO NOT count towards your 50 to 100 FULL lines of text, and should be located after the conclusion and before the references.
• All papers should include a header on the front page. This header DOES NOT count toward your 50 to 100 FULL lines of text. It should include:
o Your name
o Student ID#
o The Course Number
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:
• Read the case study: Economics and US Presidential Elections
The essay must include answers to:
Economic Slowdown and Recession:
• How would you characterize an economic slowdown? What are the causes and effects of such an economic slowdown on the domestic economy? Examine the behavior of major macroeconomic variables during such a situation by analyzing all of the annexes in the case study.
Role of Fiscal Policy During an Economic Slowdown:
• What is the role of economic policies in economic downturns? Is fiscal policy more effective than monetary policy? Support your arguments with ample theoretical evidence.
Dominance of Political Agenda Over the Economic Agenda:
• In general, economic policies take a long time to show their effects, but the political leaders do not have that much time at their disposal. So, they tend to prefer politically safe short-term economic policies over long-term policies. Do you think it is good for an economy to allow the political agenda to overpower economic policies? If yes, justify how a political party's benefits can be more important than a country's benefits; if no, would you suggest economic policies be independent of political leaders?
Readings:
Economies and US Presidential Elections
By John McCain