Economics 2367 02 Current Economic Issues in the United States Spring 2014 MWF 1 50 2 45 Smith Lab 3094 Instructor E mail Office Phone Office Hours Dr Molly Malloy Cooper cooper 338 osu edu 405 Arps Hall 292 3790 WF Noon 1 30 Course Objectives General Education Statement The purpose of this course is to develop your written and verbal communication skills and apply these skills to the subject of Economics Readings and classroom discussions will examine current economic issues such as Unemployment Job Creation Entitlement Reform Health Care and Tax and Educational Policies Each student will choose a position on one of these topics to argue with a group in a class presentation Students will write several short argument papers on these issues as well as a term paper on their presentation topics Economics 2367 02 is a Level Two Writing and Communications General Education Course Economics 2367 02 has been designed with the general learning objectives of this category in mind The readings class discussions and written assignments will further students abilities To apply basic skills in expository writing To demonstrate critical thinking through written and oral expression To use and retrieve written information analytically and effectively Economics 2367 02 fits directly into this category by addressing these main learning objectives The assigned papers oral presentations and classroom discussion aid students in Developing their expository writing skills by the drafting of several short argument papers Demonstrating their critical thinking in applying economic analyses to their arguments Learning about the vast resources available through the university libraries system Articulating their opinions as debate leaders and participants Learning the process of writing research papers topic submission outline rough draft and incorporation of criticism Course Materials Course readings will be posted to CARMEN Most of the articles posted will be from the Wall Street Journal which will require you to have a subscription to access A representative from the Wall Street Journal will visit class on September 12 so that you may purchase a very reasonably priced subscription An outline of class notes also will be available on the course website on CARMEN The outlines are not meant to serve as a substitute for attending class lectures Additionally you will need to subscribe to the Tophat student response system This system will be used both for sign ups for your presentation topic and your term paper conference and for in class opinion and review questions 20 of your grade is Attendance Participation which will be quantified through this system Details on how to sign up for this system will be found on CARMEN Contacting Me Seeking Assistance The best way to reach me outside office hours is via e mail You may leave a message on my office voicemail if you must but e mail will be received and returned faster You are very welcome to visit me during my office hours or to make an appointment if you are unable to come during scheduled office hours In addition The Department of Economics runs the Economics Learning Center where advanced undergraduates provide free tutoring for students in Economics 2001 2002 4001 and 4002 Assistance with other classes is frequently available The Economics Learning Center is located in 311 Arps Hall 1945 North High Street and is typically open from 9AM 5PM Monday Friday starting the second full week of the semester Note that the purpose of the tutoring center is not to provide answers to assignments but to help students learn economics As the student you are ultimately responsible for all course work you submit Also the Writing Center in Mendenhall Laboratory offers writing assistance Their contact information can be found at http cstw osu edu writingCenter Course Requirements You are required to lead one class discussion in a group participate in other class discussions and to write six short position papers and a term paper All papers are to be submitted via the CARMEN dropbox These papers will be run thought the plagiarism protection program Turnitin com which has now been integrated with CARMEN Group Presentation In this course I will lecture on background material relevant to each issue prior to a student led debate Groups of at least 4 2 or more pro and 2 or more against will lead a debate discussion of these issues Each group should thoroughly argue its chosen position using material from the text as well as supplementary materials and be prepared to counter the other side s arguments You will have several opportunities to meet and coordinate during the first few weeks of class You must send an electronic copy of your presentation slides 24 hours before your presentation or bring me a hard copy to the presentation Also at least 48 hours before your presentation each group will submit question relevant to their topic for their classmates to consider This question will be entered into the Tophat system and used to give your classmates attendance points Position Papers On the dates indicated in the course schedule you will turn in a 2 3 page paper arguing for one side of the on of the debate s argued the previous week You are not required to reference an additional material other than that in the textbook and presented in class You will not write the short paper on your presentation topic The top 6 scores on these papers will count towards your final grade so you can skip one other topic than your presentation Attendance TopHat 20 of your grade in this course will be attendance as quantified by the TopHat response system Beginning September 8 I will post daily poll questions for which you will receive either 1 point when there is no correct answer so you get a point just for answering as well as review questions worth 2 total points 1 for answering at all and another point for a correct response Additionally each group will be responsible for submitting poll question s to me 48 hours before your presentation so that your classmates may also earn points on group presentation days Your grade will be calculated as a percentage of total points in accordance with the OSU standard scale Term Paper Each student will turn in an approximately 10 page research paper on his or her presentation topic The paper requires substantial citation of academic publications Format of this paper will be discussed during the second week of class Students will begin working on their