EC 303 University of Memphis Economics Fed Policymaking Paper
Description
EC303: Guidelines for Topic Papers
You will choose a two-year time-period from the last 20 years. For this period, you should analyze Fed policymaking
through key macroeconomic indicators of the business cycle.
For your time-period, use actual data supported by tables or graphs for each indicator and write at least one
paragraph on each of the following indicators:
? economic growth as measured by real GDP
? the price level, i.e., if inflation was problematic
? interest rates and how they were influenced by the Fed
? the targets and goals of monetary policy and the Fed Chairmans leadership in attaining them
Organization
Your paper consists of the items below which should be in the following order:
1. Cover sheet (title page) containing the following: assigned topic, your name, course name, date
2. Introductory paragraph states the topic and the thesis, i.e., the general conclusion that is supported by the body of
the paper.
3. Second paragraph is a general description of data presented in tables or graphs. There should be at least one
table/graph per indicator (that means a total of four tables/graphs). Tables/graphs should be labeled, the data
source must be identified, and they should be on a separate page or pages as an attachment between the body
of the paper and the Works Cited page. Data may be found in Federal Reserve Bulletin and other sources (see
below).
4. Remaining paragraphs address the four indicators listed above, including more detailed analysis of data.
5. The conclusion summarizes and restates the thesis.
6. Works Cited page containing your research sources is the final page.
Paper Format
? 1,000 1,200 words, not including the Works Cited page. Verify this with word-count in your software and include
the actual word count typed at the bottom of the last page of text, before the attachments and Works Cited page. Points
will be deducted for no word count, word count in the wrong place, and for counts under 1,000 or those over 1,200.
? typed, double-spaced, on white paper, with page numbers centered at the bottom of the page
Topic Paper Grading Criteria:
Application of Economic Theory* 50 points
Presentation and Analysis of Data* 25 points
Research 50 points
Organization (as listed above) 25 points
Format 25 points
Topic selection and resources100 points
-Submitted in Unit 3 300 TOTAL
*Questions to think about defined below
Application of Economic Theory:
? Are concepts based in economic theory from course lectures and applied to the real-world data?
? Are all economic terms defined?
? Are economic concepts explained and interpreted accurately?
? Are facts presented and cited accurately?
? Is a thorough understanding of concepts demonstrated?
Presentation and Analysis of Data:
? Are the data presented professionally in a table or graph, with the data source included?
? Are the data used to support the thesis?
? Are the data interpreted properly?
? Are the data well organized and presented effectively?
Research Sources
The Federal Reserve Bulletin is required for one of your research sources. This Fed publication contains articles as well
as data and is available in Academic OneFile, an on-line database available from Park University library. Full-text articles
are available from 1979-2005 in Academic OneFile. More recent articles can be found on the Feds website
(federalreserve.gov). In addition, you must use one citation from your textbook plus at least one additional research
source that discusses the time-period. Thus, you should have at least three citations in the body of the text and at
least three different references on your Works Cited page.
Use of the Internet:Conducting scholarly research by simply Googling your specific topic will yield very little useful
information. You should find at least one article through Park Librarys on-line database or a government source; that
reference will contain more references that you can pursue. NOTE: If your Works Cited page has only Internet sites, you
would receive zero points for research.
Unacceptable Sources: In general, citations from Internet websites will NOT count as a required source unless the
citation is from a U.S. government website. The Internet can be used to find on-line versions of publications, but such
citations should be made only for articles that are published in paper form (i.e., can be found in a library). For instance,
you could use a New York Times article that is downloaded from the Internet. Cutting and pasting information from the
Internet is plagiarism. Encyclopedias (e.g., Wikipedia), textbooks other than the course textbook, and abstracts of articles
are not valid sources. Required and Recommended Sources:
? Federal Reserve Bulletin (required, available in EBSCO or on the FED website)
? the relevant chapter of your textbook (required)
? the St. Louis Feds on-line database, FRED
? other regional Fed publications
? The Wall Street Journal
? New York Times online (e-mail notices of this are available for free)
? CNN Financial News online
? The Economist (magazine)
? any academic or nonacademic journal available through Park University library
? library books
? government publications (e.g., those of the Fed or the U.S. Treasury)
Explanation & Answer:
6 Pages
Tags:
business cycle
real GDP
Fed policymaking
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