AP Macroeconomics Individual Project Requirements[1]

Annotated Article Reviews:

During the first month of the semester, students will be expected to collect news articles related to economics at least three times per week. Such articles are to be kept in the student’s notebook. Each article is to be summarized and annotated with student comments on a separate sheet of paper. Annotated comments should briefly express student reaction to the news and opinions expressed in the article (e.g. possibilities regarding the implications of such news to other parts of the economy, curiosity, disagreement with a point of view, comparison with other news items). In addition, each article review must clearly identify the title of the article, the name of the author, the name of the publication, and date of publication. Such entries will become raw material for the position paper, but will also be collected for a grade two (2) times during the first month of the course. All entries turned in for a grade must be typed and should not exceed one (1) page double-spaced.

**Note: Actual articles are required. Websites that are not journalistic in nature will not be accepted. Do not simply look for websites that contain information pertaining to your chosen research paper topic.

Good Sources for News Clippings:

Wall Street Journal
New York Times
Miami Herald
The Economist
Newsweek Magazine
Time Magazine
Fortune Magazine
Money Magazine
Forbes Magazine

** Note: Many of these publications have internet sites that may be a more convenient source of material

Position Paper #1: (note: students may choose an alternative paper assignment as part of the Veterans of Foreign Wars “Voice of Democracy” Scholarship Contest. Such papers must comply with all rules and regulations of the VFW 2008-2009 Contest and this year’s theme).

For this project, choose a topic from the list below. During the first six weeks of the course, you should choose your article review clippings based upon this topic and use such articles as a starting point for the position paper. Based upon such current information and additional research sources of your choice, structure the paper as follows:

In the first paragraph of the paper, define the topic, frame the debate that is currently under consideration regarding the topic, and identify your position in the debate.
Develop the context: how do current levels (of unemployment, budget surplus, or whatever the topic is) compare with historical levels?
Answer the following questions: What goals are being discussed? What policies have been suggested to meet those goals?
Elaborate on a particular program or policy suggestion. Who supports it and why? Who opposes it and why? Assess the strength of the evidence in favor of and against the policy.
Provide your conclusions about the issue you have discussed. Are policy proposals realistic? What alternatives might you suggest? Do you need more information? Support your conclusion.
Provide a bibliography for all sources used.
Provide footnote citations to reference quotes AND other information that you have researched to support your presentation and conclusions.
The paper should gather and present your learning about the topic in 3-4 typed, double-spaced pages.

Topics for Paper:

§ Unemployment

§ Inflation

§ Budget Deficit/Surplus

§ Taxes

§ Monetary Policy

§ Fiscal Policy

Grading Rubric:

Position Paper #2: (note: Paper #2 may be replaced by the National History Day group project if students so choose. See Group Project requirements for NHD project requirements).

For this assignment, imagine that you are an economic advisor to the U.S. Congress in early 1932. You are asked to comment on each of two policy proposals in a typed paper of 3-4 double-spaced pages. The first proposal is to pressure the Federal Reserve to increase open-market purchases. The second proposal is to increase veterans’ benefits without cutting spending elsewhere and without raising taxes. Would you recommend either of these measures? Why? Why not?

Your response will be evaluated using the following criteria:

- accurate use of economic terminology

- consideration of both gains & risks involved in each proposal

- development of a persuasive case for your recommendations

- Provision of footnote citations to reference quotes AND other information that you have researched to support your presentation and conclusions.

Grading Rubric:

[1] Many thanks to Audrey Lyke of Franklin and Marshall College for the use of her syllabus in the development of these group assignments, reproduced in: Griffin, Nancy, Teacher’s Guide to Advanced Placement Courses in Macroeconomics. (College Board: Princeton, NJ) 1994.