| E202 Introduction to Macroeconomics Essay | |||||
| Purpose | |||||
| The purpose of this essay is to practice using the tools of macroeconomic analysis and economic reasoning outside of a test-taking environment when thinking about and discussing the causes, consequences, and/or outcomes of different economic issues, situations, policies, etc. This is an opportunity to use the economic knowledge you have gained from this course in a more ‘applied’ sense in order to try and better explain the world around you while also continuing to build important skills related to thinking critically, researching, and organizing your resulting ideas in a clear and effective way. | |||||
| Essay Prompt | |||||
| Write an argumentative essay in which you make an arguable claim regarding a macroeconomic policy, issue, event, etc. related to any of the covered class topics. Support that claim and present your argument through economic analysis and reasoning that utilizes methods or ideas covered during our course (for example, the aggregate demand and aggregate supply model, determinants of long-run economic growth, impacts of monetary policy, etc.). Include facts, statistics, research, or other evidence that further supports both the use of your economic analysis/reasoning and your arguable claim. Structure the resulting argument in a cohesive and convincing manner which effectively connects your supporting economic analysis, reasoning, and evidence to your arguable claim, addresses any potential counterarguments to your claim or your supporting analysis, and provides a persuasive backing of the arguable claim. | |||||
| Organization | |||||
| Your essay should begin with an introduction that both introduces the macroeconomic topic/policy about which you will make your arguable claim, any relevant context, and states the arguable claim in a clear thesis statement that also briefly proposes how the essay will support the claim through economic analysis, reasoning, and evidence. The body of your essay should present and describe your supporting economic analysis, reasoning, and evidence – always clearly explaining how it supports your thesis arguable claim. Your essay should then conclude in a succinct summary of your thesis and main points. | |||||
| Additional Notes | |||||
| You must cite all external sources using footnotes within your essay. Citations should be in the MLA (Modern Language Association) style. All students are required to visit my office hours at some point during the semester in order to turn in their thesis and discuss their desired topic with me so that I can approve it. | |||||
| Essay Rubric | |||||
| Criteria | A | B | C | D | |
| Thesis (10 points) |
Includes a clear thesis related to one of the macroeconomic topics discussed in class which both states an arguable claim and proposes how the essay will support that claim using economic analysis, reasoning, and evidence based on class topics/methods. | Makes an arguable claim related to one of the macroeconomic topics discussed in class, but either does not have a specific thesis statement or does not propose what economic analysis, reasoning, and evidence will be used to support the claim. | The exact claim that will be supported in the essay is unclear, and there is no clear thesis. | Neither thesis nor arguable claim are present. The argument is unclear. | |
| Economic Argument/Evidence (35 points) |
Provides a sufficient amount of clear, accurate, and well-structured economic analysis, reasoning, and evidence based on class topics/methods which supports the thesis claim. The logic connecting the supporting analysis, reasoning, and evidence to the thesis claim is clear and well established. Includes statistics/facts and research with cited sources. | Provides a sufficient amount of economic analysis, reasoning, and evidence based on class topics/methods to support the thesis claim, but the connection between the analysis, reasoning, and/or evidence and the thesis claim is somewhat unclear with some apparent gaps in logic. Includes statistics/facts and research with cited sources. | Provides some suggested support to the thesis claim through economic analysis/evidence based on class topics/methods, but the link between the supporting evidence and the thesis is weak and can be unclear. | Either does not provide support to the thesis claim or provides confused, inaccurate, and/or irrelevant points which fail to support the thesis. | |
| Addressing Counterarguments (10 points) |
Discusses possible contradictions and opposing arguments that could be made against the thesis claim or supporting evidence and convincingly details why those counterarguments are invalid or unreasonable. | Discusses possible opposing arguments that could be made against the thesis claim or supporting evidence, but leaves some doubt or questions in the justification as to why those counterarguments are invalid or unreasonable. | Suggests that there are some counterarguments that could exist against the thesis claim or supporting evidence, but does not provide reasonable justification as to why those counterarguments are invalid. | Does not acknowledge potential counterarguments to the thesis claim or supporting evidence. | |
| Organization/Clarity (15 points) |
The essay’s logic and reasoning are organized in a coherent and convincing manner that effectively connects the supporting economic analysis/evidence with the thesis claim and the essay’s overall argument. The structure of the main points makes the analysis clear and easy to follow. | The essay’s logic and reasoning are mostly organized in a clear and coherent manner that connects the supporting economic analysis/evidence with the essay’s overall argument, however certain deviations in the essay’s structure and/or organization contribute some confusion to the progression of the main points and the argument as a whole. | The essay’s logic and reasoning are organized in a way that can obscure the essay’s argument and make the main points as well as their relation to the thesis claim unclear. | The essay’s organization is clearly not well thought out and seemingly random leading to confusion regarding the essay’s argument, its main points/supporting evidence, and how the points relate to or support the thesis claim. | |
| Conventions (5 points) |
Essay uses correct grammar, sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation which never detracts from the essay’s content. | Essay generally uses correct grammar, sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation, but some errors impact the clarity of the essay’s content. | Essay contains grammatical errors which can detract from the content and obscure the essay’s main points. | Frequent grammatical errors make the essay’s content and main points unclear and confusing. | |
