Economic Issues in North America - JMM529

• Anglický název: Economic Issues in North America
• Zajišťuje: Katedra severoamerických studií (23-KAS)
• Fakulta: Fakulta sociálních věd
• Platnost: od 2019
• Semestr: letní
• E-Kredity: 8
• Způsob provedení zkoušky: letní s.:
• Rozsah, examinace: letní s.:2/2, Zk [HT]
• Počet míst: neurčen / neurčen (6)
• Minimální obsazenost: neomezen
• 4EU+: ne
• Virtuální mobilita / počet míst pro virtuální mobilitu: ne
• Stav předmětu: nevyučován
• Jazyk výuky: angličtina
• Způsob výuky: prezenční
• Způsob výuky: prezenční
• Poznámka: předmět je možno zapsat mimo plán; povolen pro zápis po webu; při zápisu přednost, je-li ve stud. plánu
• Garant: Mgr. Ing. Magdalena Fiřtová, Ph.D.; PhDr. Mgr. Kryštof Přemysl Kozák, Ph.D.
• Vyučující: Mgr. Ing. Magdalena Fiřtová, Ph.D.; PhDr. Mgr. Kryštof Přemysl Kozák, Ph.D.
• Je neslučitelnost pro: JTM036, JMM077

Cíl předmětu

Poslední úprava: Mgr. Ing. Magdalena Fiřtová, Ph.D. (31.01.2019)

Course objective:
The goal of the course is to help students understand important debates, trends and current issues of North American regional economy. Upon successful completion of this course students should be able to

- assess the causes and consequences of accelerated globalization for the U.S. economy and society

- analyse and discuss major problems related to the U.S. domestic fiscal policy and budget distribution

- develop a basic understanding of the stock market functioning

- assess the pros and cons of the USMCA trade agreeement and former NAFTA

- develop a basic past and present challenges for several industrial sectors of the U.S. economy

Metody výuky

Poslední úprava: Mgr. Ing. Magdalena Fiřtová, Ph.D. (31.01.2019)

Lecture combined with a seminar, active participation of students.

Požadavky ke zkoušce

Poslední úprava: Mgr. Ing. Magdalena Fiřtová, Ph.D. (31.01.2019)

Course requirements:

1. Active participation, including thorough preparation for each class - 5%

Students are required to read and discuss assigned texts. The texts are either available online (if there is a link in the syllabus) or in a Moodle module, accessible through http://dl.cuni.cz. Your login and password should be the same as into the SIS system. Enrolment key for this class is "ilikeeconomy".

Furthermore, students are required to read and discuss the weekly newsletter concerning current developments in US as well as world economy.

You are entitled to a maximum two uncertified absences.

2. Economic newsletter - 5%

Students will divide into teams of two. Each team will pick one more or less divisive economic issue that was discussed in the media previous week (or recently) and compare at least two different articles handling the subject in alternative ways. Two articles should be disseminated to the class no later than SUNDAY night before the Tuesday class.

Everybody in the class should read and be ready to discuss the topic at the beginning of the class. Students preparing the newsletter should also research some elementary background for the topic covered in the mandatory article and be ready to lead the discussion. We encourage you not to be afraid of conflict or controversary during the class discussion, respect other's right to hold opinons that differ from your own.

The aim of this assignment is to help students be informed about current events going around in the region of North America, get engaged in debate in controversial topic and learn to distinguish between facts and opionions, as well as to develop argumentation skills.

Recommended sources: The Economist, The New York Times, Business Week, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, BBC, Al-Jazeera, La Jornada, El Financiero, Nexos, Globe and Mail, Devoir. For articles in Spanish or French, provide a Google translation link.

3. Tracking of a selected asset - 10%

Each student shall by the second week choose one tradable asset where to put fictional 1,000,000 USD. The asset has to be either a stock of a publicly traded company, a currency, a financial instrument or a commodity. The student should follow closely the movement of the price of the selected asset and the underlying causes for the fluctuations and be ready to report on it in the middle of the course.

Fill in your assets in the sheet 2, by February 28, 2019 at

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14pbFJJEe1WvZzbsokvu9PvgAnL3pjLxJqpcsPnyT4ag/edit#gid=0

At the end of the course (May 15th, 2019), students will sell their stocks (and list the closing value of their stock in to the asset sheet) and present a brief (5minute long) analysis of their portfolio value. Each student shall try to interpret his/her results, what happened with respect to the price of the asset, including plausible explanations. Students who will make more than 4% will get a further 2% bonus.

 

4. Take-Home Essay (20%)

Each student shall write an essy on a given topic. The topic will be handed out here in the Moodle system April 30, and the paper is due (via Moodle system) May 8, by midnight. You will be given a choice of two possible topics. Minimum length: 10.800 characters with spaces (6 pages).

Some hints and guidelines for your writing:

- An essay question asks you to combine information drawn from several different sources, arrange that information, you will be constructing an argument in order to answer the question. Clearly demonstrate your own independent reading. 

- Make sure your paper is streamlined with powerful and thoughtful thesis. (5%/ 3% )

- Use sophisticated argumentation, focus in-depth on insight, evidence and concrete examples. (15%/ 10%)

- Make sure your writing is polished and precise, proof-reading and revision must be apparent. (5%/ 3%)

- Do not forget including effective introduction and conclusion. (5%/ 4%)

 

5. Economic book review (20 %)

You may choose any recently published book on the course Bibliography or in our Library relevant the course or from the list of newly aquired books and write a book review of 4 pages minimum (7200 characters with spaces).

A book review is not the same thing as a book report, which simply summarizes the content of a book. When writing a book review, you not only report on the content of the book but also assess its strengths and weaknesses. Though there is no "correct" way to structure a review, the following is one possible approach.

Summarize the book and relate the author's main point, or thesis. What are the questions that the book tries to answer? (Somewhere early in the paper, identify the author briefly.) Describe the author's viewpoint and purpose for writing; note any aspects of the author's background that are important for understanding the book. Note the most important evidence the author presents to support his or her thesis. Evaluate the author's use of evidence, and describe how he or she deals with counter evidence. Is the book's argument convincing? If so why, if not, why not. Cite examples from the text. Compare this book with other books or articles you have read on the same subject. Conclude with a final evaluation of the book. You might discuss who would find this book useful and why. (This text and more tips for how to write book reviews are available at http://courses.washington.edu/tande/book_reviews.htm).

Deadline: June 1st, 2019.

6. Final sit-in written exam - (40%)

In the first part, students will have to provide definitions for basic terms and concepts (e.g. current account balance, Laffer's curve, Gini coefficient), the second part will contain questions focusing on the assigned readings (e.g. What is Naomi Klein's opinion about moving inefficient factories from the U.S. to other countries? Do you agree with her analysis?).

A minimum score to pass the exam is 50%.

Vstupní požadavky

Poslední úprava: Mgr. Ing. Magdalena Fiřtová, Ph.D. (31.01.2019)

English language