Assignments
and Study Questions

 

GENERAL AND BACKGROUND

  1. Lecture Notes from Class. (Powerpoint)

  2. Read Taking Sides (textbook), "Introduction: Economics and Economists: The Basis for Controversy."

  3. Study questions for introductory material on policy.

MINIMUM WAGE

  1. Read Taking Sides (textbook), "Issue 11. Should Minimum Wage and Living Wage Laws Be Eliminated," pages 214-228.

  2. Read the Washington Post article  "Life at $7.25 an hour" by David Finkel, Washington Post, January 10, 2007..

  3. U.S. Department of Labor information on the federal minimum wage law. 

  4. U.S. Department of Labor information on states' minimum wage laws.

  5. Federal minimum wages rates over the years from Infoplease.

  6. Study questions for minimum wages.

EXECUTIVE PAY

  1. Read Taking Sides (textbook), "Issue 2. Are CEOs Paid What They Are Worth?", pages 20-33.

  2. WSJ article on executive pay in banks, October 15, 2008.

  3. Study questions for executive pay.

GLOBALIZATION

  1. The material on globalization will come primarily from my lecture notes. Lecture Notes (Powerpoint).

  2. Read Taking Sides (textbook), "Issue 13. Is a Fair Trade Policy Superior to a Free Trade Policy?", pages 245-259.

  3. Study questions for globalization.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  1. The material will come primarily from lecture notes.

  2. It's Your Money: A Citizen's Guide to Social Security Reform by the Cato Institute, 2005.

  3. Failing by a Wide Margin: Methods and Findings in the 2003 Social Security Trustees Report by Andrew G. Biggs. Cato Institute. April 22, 2003.

  4. Read Taking Sides (textbook), "Issue 8. Should Social Security Be Changed to Include Personal Retirement Accounts?", pages 152-166.

  5. Study questions for Social Security.

HEALTH CARE REFORM

  1. Read Taking Sides (textbook), "Issue 6. Is it Time to Reform Medical Malpractice Litigation?", pages 94-124.

  2. Lecture notes.

  3. Lecture Notes on Healthcare Reform Bill Proposals 2010.

  4. Study questions for health care reform.
     

ECONOMIC STIMULUS PLAN AND THE MACROECONOMY

  1. Washngton Post Article: Taking Apart the $819 billion Stimulus Package.

  2. AP: Road Projects Don't Help Unemployed

  3. Why Government Spending Does Not Stimulate Economic Growth: Answering the Critics, by Brian M. Riedl, Heritage Foundation, January 5, 2010.

  4. Slides on Riedl Article.

  5. Lecture notes.

  6. Lecture notes II: Stimulus.

  7. Lecture Notes: Stimulus Watch.

  8. Study questions for Economic Stimulus Plan and Macroeconomy.

OIL/GAS PRICES

  1. Gasoline Slides

  2. An article on the hardship caused by higher gas prices.

  3. Find out how Ethanol Makes Gasoline Costlier, Dirtier.

  4. The EIA "Primer" on gas prices. 

  5. An issue of BusinessWeek featuring oil and the economy.

  6. U.S. retail gas prices.

  7. Gas at $4 a gallon.

  8. Ethanol vs. Gasoline--one study.

  9. Ethanol worse for the climate than gasoline. (NPR)

  10. Ethanol drives gas prices higher.

  11. Ethanol: The Great Big Green Fraud.

  12. Ethanol and food prices. A second article on ethanol and food prices.

  13. Financial Times article on futures.

  14. What is driving gas prices higher?

  15. Study questions for oil/gas prices.

Supply-Side Economics and Reaganomics

  1. Lecture Slides.

  2. Study questions for Supply-Side Economics and Reagonomics.