Create a 1,050- to 1,400-word fictitious dialogue that takes place during a segment of Let’s Talk Money, a fictitious TV talk show that interviews prominent individuals in the business community. During the segment, the show’s host, a government official, and a business savvy CEO discuss the relationship between the government, the economy, and the company selected from the following list:
Pepsi-Cola Company™
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.™
Lowe’s®
Starbucks Coffee® Company
Barnes & Noble®
Amazon.com, Inc.©
Hewlett Packard Development Company, L.P.©
Dell, Inc.©
The Walt Disney Company©
Microsoft®
Note: You may use a company with which you are familiar as a substitute.
Use your creativity with this dialogue and develop the points of view of the characters involved. The following questions must be addressed and serve as a basis for grading this assignment:
In what type of situations might the selected company run a high risk of violating antitrust laws? How might the government react to assure fair competition within the company’s given market?
In what ways might the selected company create a benefit externality? In what ways might it create a cost externality? How might the government respond to the externalities created by the selected company?
What is the importance of the government as a buyer in a market economy? Explain from both a governmental and a business perspective.
In what ways might the selected company do business with the government? From the company’s perspective, what might be the benefits and drawbacks of selling to the government? From the government’s perspective, what might be the benefits and drawbacks of buying from the company?
In what situation would the selected company likely consider a merger with one of the other companies on the list? What risks and benefits would a possible merger present? How might the government respond to the merger? Would the two companies merge? Explain why or why not.