EC342, Individual Papers

Economics 342: Economics of International Trade

Block 4 -- Nov. 27 - Dec. 20, 2000

Individual Papers

The individual paper is a major part of this course. It is intended as a way to synthesize the material covered in class and outside readings. It is also intended as an opportunity for students to write a significant paper in economics so that they will have experience in formulating a hypothesis, gathering materials, structuring the presentation of data and opinions, and presenting written material in a format which supports the hypothesis being proven.

One primary purpose of this course is the application of the theory of international trade to contemporary issues. Unless this bridge is made, students often fail to see the applicability (and limitations) of theory as a heuristic modeling device for attempting to explain the complexities of events which engulf us. Thus, a major requirement of this course is a paper which synthesizes what you have learned in class and through assigned readings with a topic related to strengthening America's role in the World economy and related issues of the "new protectionism."

You are to write a paper, approximately twenty pages in length (typed, double-spaced, using standard style and footnote criteria) evaluating issues of free trade and protectionism for The United States during the first decade of the twenty-first century, including your own recommendations for an appropriate American trade strategy during the next Presidential administration: 2001-2004. You must demonstrate in your paper how the theory you study in this course applies to issues of America's trade strategy; keep this in mind in designing your paper. In the limited space you will have, you cannot BOTH cover ALL institutional and descriptive aspects of calls for various trade strategies and demonstrate your facility for using the international trade theory we will be studying. In such a case you should give more emphasis to demonstrating your grasp of the theory; but you must also at least outline the relevant aspects of the trade strategy debate so as to put it in a current perspective. Your grade on the paper will depend heavily on your ability to use, and criticize, the theory taught in the course and used in the readings and relate it to the reform topic.

In reading about proposals for an American trade strategy, in addition to the Salvatore textbook, the Moon readings book and class handouts, you should be sure that you use at least three substantive articles which have appeared in the past 24 months and which you can obtain to help you write this paper. You are encouraged to use the World Wide Web as a starting point in searching for trade policy strategies and positions of governmental organizations and other groups studying and proposing trade policies. Of course, the other more traditional sources of information in Tutt Library should also be consulted.

Your paper should consist of three parts:

2.) Part A will be a comprehensive overview of the economic theory which pertains to international trade and protectionism, as derived from the materials covered in the class and assigned readings portion of class (but supplemented by additional readings you will do for the paper). This section should demonstrate that you have a grasp of the relevant theory and that you can present such theory in a comprehensive manner which supports the hypothesis you are attempting to prove in your overall paper.

3.) Part B will present the necessary information about proposals for an American trade strategy during the period 2001-2010 to support your hypothesis. This will include institutional and historic background, quantitative information which places your discussion of options for trade strategies in perspective, and a bridge to the theory covered in Part A. This part will also draw conclusions, present your recommended trade strategy option, and demonstrate that your paper has indeed supported the hypothesis set forth in the introduction.

You are to turn in your paper in the appropriate section of your Course Notebook by Noon on the last day of the Block

Check List For Paper Completion

2. Label the three parts of your paper: Introduction, Part A, Part B.

3. Create a bibliography or note citations in footnotes.

4. Use and refer to at least 3 outside references.

5. Use Part A theory in Part B explicitly.

6. Proofread your paper.

7. Always put graphs right behind the page(s) where they are discussed, never place all of the graphs at the end of the paper.

8. Number the pages of your paper; if you wish, have the computer generate numbers for pages with text, then number by hand pages xx a, b, c, etc. for the pages containing graphs as explained on p. xx.

9. Sign Honor Code.

10. Relax, and look upon the paper as an opportunity to consolidate and demonstrate to yourself and its readers that you have a comprehensive understanding of the course materials.

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