Posted: April 29th, 2015

Economic policy

Economic policy

Order Description

Choice of Topic

The paper will attempt to address a question that follows directly from one or more of the assigned readings. The best topic will be something that you are interested in, a query that you would like to know the answer to, so that the endeavor is of more than “academic” interest to you. It is also critical that the paper use economic analysis and involve the application of economic theory to the question you raise, applying ideas that you have studied in your economics course work. One strategy is to focus on a particular narrow concern—say a local market—and apply the relevant economic theory to understanding that market.

Your grade on the paper depends both on addressing the question that you pose and on how well you explicate the relevant theory. Presentation, including grammar and spelling, as well as your success in presenting a clear and concise argument, also play a role.

It is acceptable for the paper to be closely related to your shorter paper or to a presentation you made (or observed) in class. If you wish to actually use passages of your earlier paper, this is acceptable, although you should work to be sure the material is appropriately integrated. The required length of the paper depends on the extent to which you rely on your shorter paper.

Paper Length

The required length depends on whether the paper is based on your shorter paper. If you write a paper “from scratch” (not following from an earlier paper), the central text of the paper (excluding title page, acknowledgments and reference list) should be 1250 to 1500 words in length (approximately 5-6 double-spaced pages). If you write a paper that builds on your earlier paper, it must be 1500 to 2000 words in length (6-8 double-spaced pages).

Referencing Relevant Publications

The primary sources for this paper will be the books required for this course and any other assigned readings. It is a requirement that more than half of the content of the paper be based on these sources. It is also a requirement that you draw on research in addition to these: there must be reference to at least two additional paper published sources, beyond assigned books or articles. You are free to use more published sources, and you are free to also use Internet sources, but the Internet sources do not count among your two require sources. (Paper published sources that also appear on the Internet count as paper sources, even if you find them and download them from the Internet.)

Finding Relevant Published Papers

As noted above, the texts used in courses you have taken are appropriate references. Also, articles cited in these texts can be very useful.

It may also be worthwhile to search databases. The most useful publication database for economics researchers is EconLit. You can use this to search for particular authors, titles, key words, or subject areas. EconLit and other databases are accessible from computers in Ellis Library or through the MU library web gateway. From the MU library web gateway, click on Looking For? – A Database, then put in EconLit and click on it when it appears below.

If you have identified a journal article or book you wish to read, there are several places to find them. You can check whether or not Ellis library has the journal or book using the Ellis on-line catalog, and you will be guided to electronic and paper copies. If you have the name of an article you want to find, click on Looking For? – A Specific Article.

For some topics, relevant information may be found on the Internet. You can use the standard search engines (e.g., Google) to find such information. Two important caveats apply to Internet sources. The first is that, since putting text on the Internet is very easy, there is no guarantee that posted material is true. A second problem with the Internet is that many written pieces are quite short and of very limited depth. As a result, you may not be able to get the detailed understanding of the underlying economic issues necessary to write a good paper based on Internet sources. Keep in mind that if you use information from the Internet, this must be referenced in your paper just as a paper published source would be, but identifying the website and the date you accessed it (see format below).

Required Paper Style

The following is the standard required style for research papers in many MU courses. Please be sure to follow it.

1) The paper should be formatted to print on standard (8 ½ x 11 inch) paper with 1 inch margins at the top, bottom, left, and right. Please include a title page, with your name, the paper title, and the course number. Number the pages. The preferred font size is 12-point.

2) Except for indented quotations, which may be single-spaced, all text in the paper should be double-spaced.

3) Figures and tables may be provided on separate pages (following the paper), or they may be interleaved, whichever you find easier. If you use a diagram from a published source, be sure to provide at the base of the diagram a citation to that source (including page number). All figures and tables should be numbered in a consistent way (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.).

4) Be sure that the reader is told the source of any ideas you present in your paper, whether you quote specific passages in your sources directly or not. If you do use a direct quote, in addition to placing it in quotation marks (or blocked off), you need to provide the page number as well as the source. As a matter of style, it is best to describe ideas in your own words (rather than quote a source directly) unless there is some strong reason to present the quote. In general, a direct quotation should be used only when the words themselves are particularly important for your argument, or if the writer has made a point in a way that is particularly eloquent and so bears repeating.

5) It is never acceptable to closely paraphrase a source even if you give the correct reference.

6) An “Acknowledgments” section of the paper must be included if you obtain any help with your paper. You must indicate the names of those who provided help, positions (e.g., MU English teaching assistant, MU senior), and a description of the kind of help provided. (You are strongly encouraged to seek help from classmates, friends, or others.)

7) The citation style used in any major journal in economics is acceptable. A list of cited references must be provided at the end of the paper. It should include only items you cite in the paper, and they should be listed alphabetically by first author, or by title if there is no author listed.

8) Many of the materials we have read in class are popular writings, designed for nonprofessional readers. The paper you write differs from these in both audience and tone. You should assume that your audience is a set of individuals, like those in this class, who have knowledge of economics. The style should not be as colloquial as the readings, but rather should be more formal, conforming to “research paper” style.

Example of an Acceptable Citation Style

One acceptable citation style is that used by the American Economic Review. In this style, an article is referred to in the text or in a footnote by author name and date of publication (e.g., Ashenfelter, 1978). The format used in the reference list is:

An article in a journal:
Bloom, Howard S.; Orr, Larry L.; Bell, Stephen H.; Cave, George; Doolittle, Fred; Lin, Winston and Box, Johannes M. “The Benefits and Costs of JTPA Title II-A Programs: Key Findings from the National Job Training Partnership Act Study.” Journal of Human Resources, Summer 1997, 32(3), pp. 549-676.

A chapter in an edited book:
Blank, Rebecca M. “The Employment Strategy: Public Policies to Increase Work and Earnings,” in Sheldon H. Danziger, Gary D. Sandefur and Daniel H. Weinberg, eds., Confronting poverty: Prescriptions for change. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1994, pp. 168-204.

A book:
Friedlander, Daniel and Burtless, Gary. Five years after: The long-term effects of welfare-to-work programs. New York: Russell Sage, 1995.

An edited book:
Danziger, Sheldon H., ed. Economic conditions and welfare reform. Kalamazoo, Michigan: W.E. Upjohn, 1999.

An unpublished paper:
Heckman, James J.; Hohmann, Neil; Khoo, Michael and Smith, Jeffrey. “Substitution and Drop Out Bias in Social Experiments: A Study of an Influential Experiment.” Unpublished paper, 1997.

An Internet Website:
White House. Economic Statistics Briefing Room, http://www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/esbr.html March 2010. [This is the date you last visited the website.]