JTBU-020013

Fundamentals of Economics

Coursework Task Spring 2018

Coursework administration

This module is assessed to 100% by coursework.

Submission deadline is Monday 28th May 2018, 10am, electronically via Moodle. Instructions will follow
in good time. Late submissions until 18th June 2018 carry a penalty of 10 points, late submissions
thereafter 20 points (out of 100).

The target word count is 1,500 words (excluding reference list, figures, tables and appendix). There is a
10 points penalty if you write more than 1,800 words.

Structure

Please use the following structure as a guide. You are permitted to deviate if it makes sense to you:

1. Introduction
Describe very shortly the issues and their implications, why this is important to deal with and
how you are going to structure your report. 120 words should suffice.
2. Economics Concepts or Models
Shortly describe the relevant economic concepts or models in your own words. Do not copy from
textbooks or the internet. Ensure you know about their assumptions and limitations. Make sure
you relate the concepts or models to your topic. Do apply concepts from class.
3. Analysis
Apply the models to your chosen topic. Make sure you build your argument logically and based
on the economic model/theory that you described above. Make sure you apply the models as
objectively as possible – you are an analyst and a lobbyist. Use academic literature to support
your argument (i.e. articles from academic journals such as American Economic Journal,
European Economic Review, etc. and not from newspapers or random webpages).
4. Conclusion
Come to your own conclusion, based on the analysis above. Justify your conclusion.
5. References
List all sources you used according to a recognizable standard (such as APA, Harvard).

Topics

Please choose only one topic from the list below.

1. Market failure 1: There is a widely accepted general global agreement about climate change, and
many governments have pledged to support the generation of energy from renewable sources
such as wind, water or solar energy. What kind of support, if any, would be appropriate and
why? What could be potential disadvantages or costs of such support?
 2. Market failure 2: There is increased talk about market power of companies such as Google and
Facebook in the market for information. Does a market failure exist? Justify your answer and
suggest appropriate government responses. Evaluate costs and benefits of such responses.
3. Long-term Economic Growth: Brazil, the world's eighth largest economy and one of the emerging
“BRICS” economies, has started recovering from a severe and protracted recession. What could
the government do to support sustainable long-term growth? Justify your answer.
4. Employment Policy: France has an unemployment rate of 10%, and a youth unemployment rate
of 24.6% (2016, OECD data). Discuss what the government could do to reduce both these figures
and recommend a solution.
5. International Trade: Discuss the costs and benefits of multilateral trade agreements and assess
how a chosen agreement would affect the participating economies. You can choose between
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP).
6. Public-sector Debt: The central government’s debt of Greece amounts to 180% of its GDP
(Q4/2016, OECD data). Describe the consequences of such high debt and suggest ways of
reducing the debt burden.

Grading

1. Knowledge 20%
Get the facts and economic models right
2. Comprehension 20%
Use the models correctly and apply them logically to your chosen topic
3. Use of academic literature 10%
Refer to articles from academic journals to support your argument
4. Critical analysis 20%
Consider and evaluate the claims made in the sources that you have read, asking
yourself if the basis of these claims is sound and whether they apply or are relevant to
the situation you are examining. Be logical in your reasoning.
5. Original (i.e. your own) conclusion 20%
Come to your own conclusion, based on the analysis above. Justify your conclusion.
6. Format 10%
Write a comprehensible report, have a cover page, title, automatically created
contents page, structure with headlines, page numbers, clear layout, complete list of
references according to a recognizable standard (such as APA, Harvard), etc.

Questions and Issues

Should you have any questions or issues, please contact me via email or right after class. I don’t have
regular Office Hours but am happy to meet upon appointment.

Andreas Nabor, a.nabor () jacobs-university.de