.
Term Paper/Background Memo (9-11 pages): Your goal is to a write an informative
background memo on a policy topic or a theoretical topic. You are free to choose
your topic as long as it falls broadly into the field of public economics as construed
in this class. Some potential topics are given below. Your paper will be graded for
the clarity exposition, argumentation and the use of sources. The goal of this paper
is not necessarily to argue a point, but to provide a balanced presentation of a
debate. You will be required to submit your topic for approval, as well as submit a
(approximately 50% finished) first draft in addition to the final paper. Note that the
first draft is worth 5% of the course grade.
You are welcome to use as sources academic journals, working papers,
newspapers/magazines, policy papers by think-thanks/governmental agencies/international
agencies and other sources (such as books). Most sources are available online. Do not rely
solely on newspaper/magazine commentary as sources; the goal is to write about the
economics of the question, so it is important to relate to some of the economic analysis
underlying the question. When citing information from a source, please try to keep in mind
the underlying policy stand taken by the author/the publishing entity and try to present a
balanced view on the topic. This does not mean that you are not allowed to take a particular
point-of-view on the topic, but your paper should not present only one side of the argument.
