Raise the Minimum Wage? Version 2.0

http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/issueguides_minwage

Should the United States Government raise minimum wage to keep up with the rising cost of living? Who would be the winners and the losers in the long run?

Use the above site to learn about the issues before responding. Be sure to consider both sides of the issue in preparing your response.

Who broke the economy?

Each day seems to bring our economy into an all new level of bad. How long until the Dow hits triple digits? Why is Jim Kramer appearing on television and pleading with tears in his eyes for everybody to sell?

Our economy is facing conditions rarely seen in recent history. As our government seeks to fix some of the problems, many are left wondering how we got here, and who is to blame?

Use the following websites to help in your investigation and consider each of the discussion questions. Be sure to check out all of the websites and make sure you understand the history of the economic crisis before answering the discussion questions.



Discussion Questions:

1. Why should we worry about the stock market if we don't own stock?
2. Should it be the responsibility of the government to "fix" the economy?
3. Who do you believe is to blame for the current economic crisis?

How_Does the Stock Market Effect the Economy?

Welker's Wikinomics

Can't Grasp Credit Crisis?

Few evade blade for financial crisis

Financial_Crisis Explained

Who_Caused_The Economics Crisis?

Paying For Better Healthcare

Head over to Greg Mankiw's Blog (http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/) and check out the story titled "Should the rich get better health care?" Read the original article (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/world/europe/21britain.html) and then read Mankiw's commentary.

Post your thoughts about the article, as well as any implications this may have regarding Free Healthcare in the United States.

Are Super Bowl ads worth the money?

If you had $2.6 million lying around the house, what would you do with it? For many companies, 30 seconds of air time is well worth the investment. Are these companies foolish, or is there a reason for all of the hullabaloo?

Use the following websites to answer the question. In additional, answer the following questions in your response:

Super Bowl scores touchdown for the economy

Superbowl Ads

The_Sports_Economist

Are Super Bowl ads worth the money?

The Super Bowl Economy

1. How does the Superbowl affect the economy?
2. What happens to the caps & shirts printed for the team that loses the Super Bowl?

Should we worry about the National Debt?

Well what do you think? Should we worry about the National Debt or should we ignore it? According to http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/, each citizen's share of this debt is $30,202.07 as of December 17th, 2007 at 7:06 PM.

Sound off below.

Sell your citizenship?

UGA Economist Dwight Lee has an idea that he claims would help the immigration controversy in the United States, and the homeless/panhandling problem: allow US citizens to sell their citizenship to non-Americans. The American selling their citizenship would have to leave the country, and the buyer would be a US citizen.

What do you think of this idea? Do you think it would work at its stated purpose (with restrictions on selling citizenship to terrorists, etc.)?

(Taken from Walker Economics Blog)

Is inflation always a bad thing?

What conclusions can you draw about who is helped and who is hurt by inflation?

Explain your answers below.