Microeconomics examples of topics for paper#1
IMPORTANT Guidelines for paper
–
You are doing a short research paper. Therefore, you need come up with
research questions or thesis. Think what interests you in what we cover in the
class.
For example,
o If you are interested in outsourcing, your research questions could be “Is
the US better off or worse off because of the outsourcing to China?”. Then
you go do a research on it. Find academic articles or news articles that
support and/or against outsourcing.
o You do research by reading those articles that you found and then
combine the information you find into a unified paper that represents your
fully formed expertise. The key to the whole thing is “combining,” so as
you do your research, look for facts and information that go well together
and help explain (or disagree with) each other
o You may start your introduction and research questions. Then start a
second paragraph with a short explanation of what is “outsourcing” and
state facts such as how many dollars or how many jobs the US
outsourced to China in 2010.
o The paper must show an analysis of a real world outsourcing situation
such as what are the problems with the outsourcing, why there are the
problems, how to fix the problems, what the pros and cons of each
solution are, and how it will affect consumers who buy imported goods at
Walmart or exporters to China.
o Warning: You should have one or two research questions or more
depending on your interest. If you only have one research question for
your whole paper and that question is “what is outsourcing”, for example,
you basically just look for a definition or a textbook explanation. This will
NOT be a good research paper. This is NOT a high school paper.
o A paper that only provides definition, textbook explanation, or news/facts
reporting will NOT earn good scores. You are not writing a dictionary or a
textbook or a newspaper. You are writing an economics research paper.
o Do not get stuck on picking a cool topic or a topic with economics
keywords. If a high school paper is about a topic, a college paper is about
research question(s) or thesis statement. A topic such as pregnancy can
be good topic if the research question is, for example, what are the
opportunity costs of pregnancy before finishing high school comparing to
after finishing high school and college.
–
–
The topics and articles provided here are just examples. You are not limited to
these topics. You can pick any topic that related to what we cover in our exams.
You should look for more articles for your research. In order to get an “A” for
essay you must use at least four news articles for your research. If you use only
the article that I provide here, it will only give you a maximum of a “C+”. So, go
out and find more articles that compliment your research questions.
Do not forget to read the grading criteria for paper/essay in the “content” area in
the class website.
Tips:
Do not to use spoken language in academic writing. Write from 3rd person
perspective
Do not use contraction in a formal writing.
Note: Some of the links here may not work. I have no control over those
websites. They may change their links at any time. Use Google to find them. If
you do not know how, go to the library and ask for a reference librarian. They are
trained professional to help you find material for your research.
If you do not find any topic here interesting, browse these websites to find more topics.
http://marcgawley.com/
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/
http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/
http://conversableeconomist.blogspot.com/
Microeconomics
Why daycare cost is so high in the US?
Applied Topics: Demand and Supply analysis, Social Welfare, Income
inequality
Research Question:
1. Is demand for daycare higher than supply? Why?
2. Why childcare is expensive?
3. Should government subsidy childcare cost?
(Hint: Use demand and supply framework to analyze why price is high)
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/01/13/cost-raising-child
What to do when there is no toilet papers to buy?
Applied Topics: Price control, International Trade
Research Questions:
1. Why did Venezuela run out of toilet papers?
2. Why price control could create a shortage of goods esp. imported goods
and eventually lead to a collapse of an economy?
Possible articles to answer the research questions (don’t forget to find
more articles)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/kass/ct-venezuela-toilet-papershortage-kass-0226-20160225-column.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/10/21/498867764/episode-731-howvenezuela-imploded
http://www.npr.org/2016/11/02/500407498/how-venezuelas-economy-collapsedand-led-to-political-unrest
Trade deals or technology that killing jobs
Applied Topics: International trade, Economic growth
Research Questions:
1. Does international trade really kill jobs in the US?
2. What kind of jobs we lost and what kind of jobs we gained because of
international trade and outsourcing?
Possible articles to answer the research questions (don’t forget to find
more articles)
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-real-long-term-threat-to-american-jobs-istech-not-trade-deals-2017-01-23
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazon-is-going-to-kill-more-american-jobsthan-china-did-2017-01-19
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/23/opinions/killing-ttp-great-for-china-bergstrandopinion/index.html
Robots are taking our jobs
Applied Topics: Price control, technology advancement and
unemployment
Research Questions:
1. Robots and new technology are taking away jobs from human. In 2008-2010
Our government has bailed out U.S. automakers to save millions of jobs, not
just factory workers but also dealership related jobs and auto repair related
jobs. Should our governments intervene or stop robots and new technology
taking jobs away from us? Should governments offer other alternatives to those
who will lose job?
2. Minimum wage is going up. Fast food chains are starting using machine
(kiosk) to take order instead of minimum wage workers? Should we stop
technology from progressing? What is the overall economic impact to the
economy?
Possible articles to answer the research questions (don’t forget to find more
articles)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-santens/self-driving-trucks-are-going-to-hitus_b_7308874.html
https://app.box.com/s/9gr9yr81lbjqkgs9ybnilw2u7ks4b1vf
https://app.box.com/s/wjgwlpnf2qopbdhgokoq7r9p1568fzcf
https://app.box.com/s/xqj4i4ndlgpvv8ec8hehwvnkifbiuj13
https://app.box.com/s/pabr6mnccsyox6wygt29uqorvem4lqt0
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-27/meet-sam-brick-laying-robotdoes-work-6-humans
Minimum wage increase would cost more to society than gain in long run
Applied Topics: Price control, Application of demand and supply
Research Questions:
1. What are pros and cons of raising minimum wage?
2. Who benefit and who loss in short run and long run when minimum wage
raises?
3. Why minimum wage increase would cost more to society than gain in long
run? (or that is not true?)
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/18/news/economy/minimum-wagecbo/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
A Black market for Apple Genius Bar in China
Applied Topics: Application of demand and supply
Research Questions:
1. Should a supplier/producer let the market create a black market to clear
the excess demand for its product? Why or why not?
2. When there is demand more than supply, how would a supplier/producer
prevent a black market to occur?
3. Who benefit and who loss from this type of black market? Or everyone is a
loser or everyone is a winner?
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
https://app.box.com/s/pet6g0zfhh3r02he4mb6
Price ceiling for a super star athlete
Applied Topics: Price control
Research Questions:
1. Should there be a price ceiling for a professional athlete (ex. Basket ball
players, football players and other sports)? Should there be a price floor
as well?
2. Why or why not a price control would make economic sense for a
professional sport?
3. Who would benefit and who would loss from such price control?
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/01/25/170176590/at-17-5-million-a-yearlebron-james-is-underpaid
Wheat prices: Field events
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model.
The article examines the international wheat market.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model how Russia’s action caused the
price of wheat to increase.
2. Under the supply and demand model how the actions of Egypt, Tunisia,
Algeria, and Jordan caused the price of wheat to increase.
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles)::
•
http://www.economist.com/node/16994407?story_id=16994407
Chinese Form Lines Outside Apple Stores for iPad
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, surpluses and shortages, rationing
by waiting.
The article examines release of Apple’s iPad in China.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model why the price of iPads in China is
higher than it is in the U.S. (Hint: The U.S. market for iPads is completely
separate from the market for iPads in China. It is extremely difficult to buy
iPad in big lots from the U.S. and resale them in China but not impossible.
Find supporting evidence/articles)
2. Is there likely to be a shortage or a surplus in this market? Would it create
a black market for iPad? (Find supporting evidence/articles of similar
situations)
Supporting articles(don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
http://www.toptechnews.com/section.xhtml?category=126
The age of ethanol
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, determinants of supply and
demand.
The article examines the ethanol market.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model what the effect of allowing the tariff
on imported ethanol would be on the price of ethanol in the U.S., other
things constant.
2. Under the supply and demand model what would happen to the price of
ethanol if the subsidies for corn ethanol were eliminated. (Find
supporting evidence/articles of the same or similar situations)
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles)::
•
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesbysubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid
=8780295&story_id=16492491
Health care reform: Who must buy insurance?
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, determinants of supply and
demand, rational self-interest.
The article examines effects of the health care law on insurance companies and
the uninsured.
Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model how increasing the number of
persons who would be required to buy health insurance and requiring
insurance companies to sell health insurance to persons with preexisting conditions affect the price of health insurance.
2. What would happen to the price of health care services when insurance
companies cannot refuse to insure persons with pre-existing conditions
likely to have? How?
Supporting articles(don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourHealth/health-carereform-who-must-buy-insurance.aspx
The jobs market for economists: Applied thinking
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, changes in supply and demand.
The article examines the market for economists in 2010.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model what is likely to happen to the wage
(salaries) paid to academic economists.
Supporting articles(don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15213689
&source=hptextfeature
Obama Tax Prompts Put-Upon Bankers to Break Out the Violins
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, determinants of supply and
demand.
The article examines the use and possible effects of the Obama administration’s
proposal to tax the largest banks to help pay for the TARP program over the
next 10 years.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model how the tax discussed in the article
is imposed would affect on the price of financial services charged by
banks ?
2. The author of the article argues that the tax is “too low.” Can you use
supply and demand analysis to support his argument? How? Or Why
not?
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/jan2010/pi20100115_247526.htm
Rough times for US oil refiners
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, changes in supply and demand.
The article examines the market for oil and refined petroleum products.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model why the price of crude oil increased.
2. Under the supply and demand model how it would have been possible for
the price of gasoline to have decreased. What should have had to be
done?
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
•
http://www.petroleumeconomist.com/default.asp?Page=14&PUB=46&SID=723802&ISS=25538
http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/27/opinion/whitaker-in-depth-gasoline/index.html
Purchase answer to see full
attachment
IMPORTANT Guidelines for paper
–
You are doing a short research paper. Therefore, you need come up with
research questions or thesis. Think what interests you in what we cover in the
class.
For example,
o If you are interested in outsourcing, your research questions could be “Is
the US better off or worse off because of the outsourcing to China?”. Then
you go do a research on it. Find academic articles or news articles that
support and/or against outsourcing.
o You do research by reading those articles that you found and then
combine the information you find into a unified paper that represents your
fully formed expertise. The key to the whole thing is “combining,” so as
you do your research, look for facts and information that go well together
and help explain (or disagree with) each other
o You may start your introduction and research questions. Then start a
second paragraph with a short explanation of what is “outsourcing” and
state facts such as how many dollars or how many jobs the US
outsourced to China in 2010.
o The paper must show an analysis of a real world outsourcing situation
such as what are the problems with the outsourcing, why there are the
problems, how to fix the problems, what the pros and cons of each
solution are, and how it will affect consumers who buy imported goods at
Walmart or exporters to China.
o Warning: You should have one or two research questions or more
depending on your interest. If you only have one research question for
your whole paper and that question is “what is outsourcing”, for example,
you basically just look for a definition or a textbook explanation. This will
NOT be a good research paper. This is NOT a high school paper.
o A paper that only provides definition, textbook explanation, or news/facts
reporting will NOT earn good scores. You are not writing a dictionary or a
textbook or a newspaper. You are writing an economics research paper.
o Do not get stuck on picking a cool topic or a topic with economics
keywords. If a high school paper is about a topic, a college paper is about
research question(s) or thesis statement. A topic such as pregnancy can
be good topic if the research question is, for example, what are the
opportunity costs of pregnancy before finishing high school comparing to
after finishing high school and college.
–
–
The topics and articles provided here are just examples. You are not limited to
these topics. You can pick any topic that related to what we cover in our exams.
You should look for more articles for your research. In order to get an “A” for
essay you must use at least four news articles for your research. If you use only
the article that I provide here, it will only give you a maximum of a “C+”. So, go
out and find more articles that compliment your research questions.
Do not forget to read the grading criteria for paper/essay in the “content” area in
the class website.
Tips:
Do not to use spoken language in academic writing. Write from 3rd person
perspective
Do not use contraction in a formal writing.
Note: Some of the links here may not work. I have no control over those
websites. They may change their links at any time. Use Google to find them. If
you do not know how, go to the library and ask for a reference librarian. They are
trained professional to help you find material for your research.
If you do not find any topic here interesting, browse these websites to find more topics.
http://marcgawley.com/
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/
http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/
http://conversableeconomist.blogspot.com/
Microeconomics
Why daycare cost is so high in the US?
Applied Topics: Demand and Supply analysis, Social Welfare, Income
inequality
Research Question:
1. Is demand for daycare higher than supply? Why?
2. Why childcare is expensive?
3. Should government subsidy childcare cost?
(Hint: Use demand and supply framework to analyze why price is high)
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/01/13/cost-raising-child
What to do when there is no toilet papers to buy?
Applied Topics: Price control, International Trade
Research Questions:
1. Why did Venezuela run out of toilet papers?
2. Why price control could create a shortage of goods esp. imported goods
and eventually lead to a collapse of an economy?
Possible articles to answer the research questions (don’t forget to find
more articles)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/kass/ct-venezuela-toilet-papershortage-kass-0226-20160225-column.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/10/21/498867764/episode-731-howvenezuela-imploded
http://www.npr.org/2016/11/02/500407498/how-venezuelas-economy-collapsedand-led-to-political-unrest
Trade deals or technology that killing jobs
Applied Topics: International trade, Economic growth
Research Questions:
1. Does international trade really kill jobs in the US?
2. What kind of jobs we lost and what kind of jobs we gained because of
international trade and outsourcing?
Possible articles to answer the research questions (don’t forget to find
more articles)
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-real-long-term-threat-to-american-jobs-istech-not-trade-deals-2017-01-23
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazon-is-going-to-kill-more-american-jobsthan-china-did-2017-01-19
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/23/opinions/killing-ttp-great-for-china-bergstrandopinion/index.html
Robots are taking our jobs
Applied Topics: Price control, technology advancement and
unemployment
Research Questions:
1. Robots and new technology are taking away jobs from human. In 2008-2010
Our government has bailed out U.S. automakers to save millions of jobs, not
just factory workers but also dealership related jobs and auto repair related
jobs. Should our governments intervene or stop robots and new technology
taking jobs away from us? Should governments offer other alternatives to those
who will lose job?
2. Minimum wage is going up. Fast food chains are starting using machine
(kiosk) to take order instead of minimum wage workers? Should we stop
technology from progressing? What is the overall economic impact to the
economy?
Possible articles to answer the research questions (don’t forget to find more
articles)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-santens/self-driving-trucks-are-going-to-hitus_b_7308874.html
https://app.box.com/s/9gr9yr81lbjqkgs9ybnilw2u7ks4b1vf
https://app.box.com/s/wjgwlpnf2qopbdhgokoq7r9p1568fzcf
https://app.box.com/s/xqj4i4ndlgpvv8ec8hehwvnkifbiuj13
https://app.box.com/s/pabr6mnccsyox6wygt29uqorvem4lqt0
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-27/meet-sam-brick-laying-robotdoes-work-6-humans
Minimum wage increase would cost more to society than gain in long run
Applied Topics: Price control, Application of demand and supply
Research Questions:
1. What are pros and cons of raising minimum wage?
2. Who benefit and who loss in short run and long run when minimum wage
raises?
3. Why minimum wage increase would cost more to society than gain in long
run? (or that is not true?)
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/18/news/economy/minimum-wagecbo/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
A Black market for Apple Genius Bar in China
Applied Topics: Application of demand and supply
Research Questions:
1. Should a supplier/producer let the market create a black market to clear
the excess demand for its product? Why or why not?
2. When there is demand more than supply, how would a supplier/producer
prevent a black market to occur?
3. Who benefit and who loss from this type of black market? Or everyone is a
loser or everyone is a winner?
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
https://app.box.com/s/pet6g0zfhh3r02he4mb6
Price ceiling for a super star athlete
Applied Topics: Price control
Research Questions:
1. Should there be a price ceiling for a professional athlete (ex. Basket ball
players, football players and other sports)? Should there be a price floor
as well?
2. Why or why not a price control would make economic sense for a
professional sport?
3. Who would benefit and who would loss from such price control?
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/01/25/170176590/at-17-5-million-a-yearlebron-james-is-underpaid
Wheat prices: Field events
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model.
The article examines the international wheat market.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model how Russia’s action caused the
price of wheat to increase.
2. Under the supply and demand model how the actions of Egypt, Tunisia,
Algeria, and Jordan caused the price of wheat to increase.
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles)::
•
http://www.economist.com/node/16994407?story_id=16994407
Chinese Form Lines Outside Apple Stores for iPad
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, surpluses and shortages, rationing
by waiting.
The article examines release of Apple’s iPad in China.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model why the price of iPads in China is
higher than it is in the U.S. (Hint: The U.S. market for iPads is completely
separate from the market for iPads in China. It is extremely difficult to buy
iPad in big lots from the U.S. and resale them in China but not impossible.
Find supporting evidence/articles)
2. Is there likely to be a shortage or a surplus in this market? Would it create
a black market for iPad? (Find supporting evidence/articles of similar
situations)
Supporting articles(don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
http://www.toptechnews.com/section.xhtml?category=126
The age of ethanol
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, determinants of supply and
demand.
The article examines the ethanol market.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model what the effect of allowing the tariff
on imported ethanol would be on the price of ethanol in the U.S., other
things constant.
2. Under the supply and demand model what would happen to the price of
ethanol if the subsidies for corn ethanol were eliminated. (Find
supporting evidence/articles of the same or similar situations)
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles)::
•
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesbysubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid
=8780295&story_id=16492491
Health care reform: Who must buy insurance?
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, determinants of supply and
demand, rational self-interest.
The article examines effects of the health care law on insurance companies and
the uninsured.
Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model how increasing the number of
persons who would be required to buy health insurance and requiring
insurance companies to sell health insurance to persons with preexisting conditions affect the price of health insurance.
2. What would happen to the price of health care services when insurance
companies cannot refuse to insure persons with pre-existing conditions
likely to have? How?
Supporting articles(don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourHealth/health-carereform-who-must-buy-insurance.aspx
The jobs market for economists: Applied thinking
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, changes in supply and demand.
The article examines the market for economists in 2010.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model what is likely to happen to the wage
(salaries) paid to academic economists.
Supporting articles(don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15213689
&source=hptextfeature
Obama Tax Prompts Put-Upon Bankers to Break Out the Violins
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, determinants of supply and
demand.
The article examines the use and possible effects of the Obama administration’s
proposal to tax the largest banks to help pay for the TARP program over the
next 10 years.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model how the tax discussed in the article
is imposed would affect on the price of financial services charged by
banks ?
2. The author of the article argues that the tax is “too low.” Can you use
supply and demand analysis to support his argument? How? Or Why
not?
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/jan2010/pi20100115_247526.htm
Rough times for US oil refiners
Applied Topics: Supply and demand model, changes in supply and demand.
The article examines the market for oil and refined petroleum products.
Research Questions:
1. Under the supply and demand model why the price of crude oil increased.
2. Under the supply and demand model how it would have been possible for
the price of gasoline to have decreased. What should have had to be
done?
Supporting articles (don’t forget to find more supporting articles):
•
•
http://www.petroleumeconomist.com/default.asp?Page=14&PUB=46&SID=723802&ISS=25538
http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/27/opinion/whitaker-in-depth-gasoline/index.html
Purchase answer to see full
attachment
