Econ Problems & Issues

***Please no plagiarism.***

Assignment 1: Article Analysis

Locate a news article about an issue that has been addressed in Weeks 1 through 3 (e.g., poverty, pollution, etc.) in order to conduct a meta-analysis of the author’s economic perspective of the selected issue.

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1. Provide a brief overview / synopsis of the issue.

2. Discuss the model or economic theory that relates to the issue presented in the news article.

3. Discuss what economic theory states and predicts about the issue presented in the news article.

4. Assess how the situation / issue presented in the news article aligns with economic theory. For example, does it make sense from an economic perspective; is the outcome presented in the article what economic theory would predict; etc.?

5. Use at least two (2) quality academic resources. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Analyze the economic impact of major social problems and issues such as poverty, discrimination, crime, income distribution, the role of government, and other major issues.
Assess how the economic behavior of individuals, businesses, and governments can affect economic growth, social well-being, and the quality of life.
Use technology and information resources to research economic problems and issues.
Write clearly and concisely about economic problems and issues using proper writing mechanics.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

***The grading rubric***

Assignment 1: Article Analysis
Criteria	Unacceptable (Below 60% F)	Meets Minimum Expectations (60-69% D)	Fair (70-79% C)	Proficient (80-89% B)	Exemplary (90-100% A)
1. Provide a brief overview / synopsis of the issue. Weight: 15%	Did not submit or incompletely provided a brief overview / synopsis of the issue.	Insufficiently provided a brief overview / synopsis of the issue.	Partially provided a brief overview / synopsis of the issue.	Satisfactorily provided a brief overview / synopsis of the issue.	Thoroughly provided a brief overview / synopsis of the issue.
2. Discuss the model or economic theory that relates to the issue presented in the news article. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely discussed the model or economic theory that relates to the issue presented in the news article.	Insufficiently discussed the model or economic theory that relates to the issue presented in the news article.	Partially discussed the model or economic theory that relates to the issue presented in the news article.	Satisfactorily discussed the model or economic theory that relates to the issue presented in the news article.	Thoroughly discussed the model or economic theory that relates to the issue presented in the news article.
3. Discuss what economic theory states and predicts about the issue presented in the news article. Weight: 25%	Did not submit or incompletely discussed what economic theory states and predicts about the issue presented in the news article.	Insufficiently discussed what economic theory states and predicts about the issue presented in the news article.	Partially discussed what economic theory states and predicts about the issue presented in the news article.	Satisfactorily discussed what economic theory states and predicts about the issue presented in the news article.	Thoroughly discussed what economic theory states and predicts about the issue presented in the news article.
4. Assess how the situation / issue presented in the news article aligns with economic theory. Weight: 25%	Did not submit or incompletely assessed how the situation / issue presented in the news article aligns with economic theory.	Insufficiently assessed how the situation / issue presented in the news article aligns with economic theory.	Partially assessed how the situation / issue presented in the news article aligns with economic theory.	Satisfactorily assessed how the situation / issue presented in the news article aligns with economic theory.	Thoroughly assessed how the situation / issue presented in the news article aligns with economic theory.
5. 2 references Weight: 5%	No references provided	Does not meet the required number of references; all references poor quality choices.	Does not meet the required number of references; some references poor quality choices.	Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.	Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.
6. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements Weight: 10%	More than 8 errors present	7-8 errors present	5-6 errors present	3-4 errors present	0-2 errors present