Category: Economics

For this week’s discussion, please first listen to the podcast episode from Freakonomics titled “Store-Brand Products,” where they explored the economics behind private label products, their production processes, and their impact on both retailers and consumers. For this discussion, consider the following questions: Production and Costs: What are the key factors that influence the production costs of private label products compared to national brands? How do manufacturers achieve lower production costs while maintaining product quality? Market Competition: Discuss the competitive dynamics between national brands and private label products. How do private labels gain a competitive edge in the market? How do pricing strategies for private label products differ from those of national brands, and what impact does this have on consumer behavior? Managerial Decision-Making: From a retailer’s perspective, what are the strategic benefits of offering private label products? Consider aspects such as customer loyalty, profit margins, and market positioning. What challenges might retailers face when introducing new private label products, and how can they overcome these challenges?

Instructions
Before you begin, read Learning Unit 7 and review the available resources for this module. Next, to help prepare you for the tasks, complete Module Assignment 7. Then, review the assignment guidelines below.
Background
In Modules 5 and 7, you learned about the role of the Fed and the monetary policies it implements to fight recessions and combat inflationary pressures in the U.S. economy. You learned about the effects of expansionary and contractionary monetary policies on the real GDP, employment, and price level. This assignment will focus on the policies the Fed enacted during the Great Recession, the challenges and dilemmas it has faced since the beginning of the pandemic-induced recession, the economic recovery, and rising inflationary pressures.
General Assignment Guidelines
This assignment is divided into three parts and consists of answering at least eight questions after watching the PBS Frontline documentary: The Power of the FedLinks to an external site.
To help, an indication has been made for some of the questions about which part of the movie (the starting minute) the material/information for that question can be found.
Throughout this documentary, references and comparisons are made with the 2007-2008 mortgage and financial crisis, which led to the Great Recession from Dec 2007 to June 2009 and the drastic response of the Fed to prevent the U.S. economy from entering a depression. More than a decade later, the role of the Fed and its challenges in conducting monetary policies to offset the effects of the pandemic recession is still at the center of this documentary.
Specific Assignment Guidelines
To receive full credit (20 extra credit points), you must answer at least eight questions as as indicated.
Download and save the Extra Credit Assignment 3 Questions Download Extra Credit Assignment 3 Questionsdocument and type your answers below each corresponding question as indicated. This will help you keep track of your work. 
After selecting which questions to answer, type your responses right below their corresponding questions and number them accordingly. 
Copy and paste your numbered responses into your submission.
Be specific and answer each question using at least 3 complete sentences.
Grading will depend on the depth and accuracy of your answers.
Use the ECO2013 Written Assignment Rubric as a guide for exemplary work criteria.
Resources
You will want these resources available for reference to complete your assignment.
The Power of the FedLinks to an external site.
Federal Reserve Press ReleaseLinks to an external site.
Atlanta Fed’s Bostic: We expect volatility in the next few monthsLinks to an external site.
Atlanta Fed’s Bostic: Inflation can be a sign of a healthy economyLinks to an external site. |TranscriptDownload Transcript
Cleveland’s Fed’s Mester: Economy will need policy support for a whileLinks to an external site. |TranscriptDownload Transcript
The Atlanta Fed Explains InflationLinks to an external site.

What is an Article Review and How One is Written
An article review is a written evaluation of a particular work. It takes the form of an essay. It is
done after careful reading, note-taking and analysis of what the author is trying to say. Your
review’s length may vary according to the article’s size. Generally, two typed pages (12 fonts
double-spaced) per article will suffice. Article Reviews are to be submitted in Blackboard. To
submit the Reviews, go to the relevant week in Canvas (be guided by the syllabus), and the link
will be available for the Review to be uploaded. Note that both your review and the article that was
reviewed are to be uploaded.
The review consists of four main parts that are placed in continuous narrative.
A. Description of the work
One or two paragraphs describing the work’s physical structure and any information about the
author you may have discovered. The title and date of publication of the article, the name(s) of the
author(s) and the name of the magazine/journal in which the article was published must be
included in your description. Feel free to state whether the article is part of a series or any other
information you may think is relevant.
B. Statements of author’s goals:
The author will state what he or she is trying to accomplish somewhere at the outset, either in the
article’s preface or in its introduction. In your own words, or paraphrasing the author, state the
objective(s) of the article (one or two paragraphs).
C. Your verdict:
Did the author achieve the goals? Or, were some achieved but not all? Were the conclusions valid,
or can you show when he or she hedged the point? If the answer is “yes” show why and use
examples from the text to bolster your praise. If the answer is “no” do the same thing to back your
claim. Remember, you should not praise or condemn without evidence.
D. Your Opinion of the whole Work:
Did you like the article? Use examples to bolster your statements.
Proofread your work before turning it in and watch your spelling. Again, a copy of the article that
was reviewed must be submitted along with your review.
5
Writing Rubric
Demonstrates
Emerging
College-
Level Writing
1
Demonstrates
Satisfactory
College-
Level Writing
2
Demonstrates
Proficient
College-
Level Writing
3
Demonstrates
Exemplary
College-Level
Writing
4
Addresses
purpose and
audience
Wavers in
purpose.
Incompletely
addresses
assigned topic
or directions.
Shows need for
more study of
issues.
Style uneven
Adheres to
purpose, fulfills
assignment.
Shows adequate
understanding
of key issues.
Style generally
appropriate to
intended
audience.
Communicates
purpose
clearly.
Shows full
understanding
of
issues.
Style
consistently
effective
for intended
audience.
Communicates
purpose with
sophistication.
Beyond
understanding
of
issues, shows
insight.
Style engages
audience,
establishes
writer’s
credibility.
Demonstrates
Emerging
College-
Level Writing
1
Demonstrates
Satisfactory
College-
Level Writing
2
Demonstrates
Proficient
College-
Level Writing
3
Demonstrates
Exemplary
College-Level
Writing
4
Demonstrates
effective
organization of
content
Loose focus on
central idea.
Contains some
repetition and
digression.
Paragraph
structure weak.
Central ideas
evident.
Paragraph
structure
sometimes
supports
content.
Consistency,
logic and
transitions
show some
weaknesses.
Central idea
clear.
Paragraph
structure
uniformly
supports
content.
Consistency,
logic and
transitions well
managed.
Central idea
clear.
Paragraph
structure
consistently and
effectively
supports
content.
Clear logic and
effective
transitions.

Activities
Learning 
Resources – Chapters  6 and 7 
i have uploaded the book to help.
you will also need to repsond to two different peers.
Discussion 2
Pick a country other than the U.S. and compare and contrast that country’s GDP with the U.S. This comparison should include an analysis of the major factors that differentiate the economies. Examples of these differences can be the economic system, trade policies, etc.
When comparing the economies, please make sure to describe population differences and how that impacts the economic health of the countries.  
Finally, compare the economic growth of the countries over the past ten years and discuss the short-term outlook.

This week we will be reflecting on the course and the Faith Integration Reading.  Please address the following 3 questions in your reflection with in 300 words in length.  Remember to number them so your instructor and peers can easily follow your posts.  
How was your experience with the Project?  Will you use your project as a basis for your personal growth plan and/or a discussion with your supervisor or manager?
How did the activities, quizzes and exercises help improve your understanding of the material and contribute to the course project paper and presentation?
Please share your thoughts about the Faith Integration discussions and the book used. Did the discussions have a positive impact on your faith and did you learn about how others relate their faith to the world of business?
Reply to the initial post of 1 classmate with a substantive reply: at least 150 words each. Your reply should extend the initial post with comparison to your own relevant experience or to relevant experience of a third party (cite source). It may present a contrasting view and/or inquire with relevant questions (see the RISE Guidelines for general reply ideas). You may also make smaller replies to other students’ posts to provide encouragement or ask questions; these will not be graded; only the substantive replies receive points.

Activities
Learning 
Resources – Chapters 1 and 2
i have uploaded the book to help.
you will also need to repsond to two different peers.
PLease separate discussion one and exercise one
Discussion 1 
(im in the army by the way)
Identify and explain the division of labor as an individual within either your current or future career field. Think about how specialization works at your current or future job. How does specialization benefit your workplace? How does it work for them across our society? 
Responses: Identify a similarity or difference between your peers’ arguments and your own. 
Exercise 1 
Chapter 1
Give the three reasons that explain why the division of labor increases an economy’s level of production.
Are households primarily buyers or sellers in the goods and services market? In the labor market? 
Suppose you have a team of two workers: one is a baker and one is a chef. Explain why the kitchen can produce more meals in a given period of time if each worker specializes in what they do best than if each worker tries to do everything from appetizer to dessert. 
Chapter 2 
Could a nation be producing in a way that is allocatively efficient, but productively inefficient? 
Individuals may not act in the rational, calculating way described by the economic model of decision making, measuring utility and costs at the margin, but can you make a case that they behave approximately that way? 
What are diminishing marginal returns? 
What assumptions about the economy must be true for the invisible hand to work? To what extent are those assumptions valid in the real world?

the test has a question writing part. Will need help with it. I need it fast and original because he will check it.

need help now and be quick! It’s Econ so if you good in that topic should be good. It’s timed 30min.

Part A Q1 is to be answered. In Part B there are 2 questions, Only 1 needs to be answered, if attempting Q3, the data is provided in the excel. The calculations and interpretation are both part of the word count, so please type out the calculation.

In this box you will connect the earlier labor market box to monetary policy before, during, and after the financial crisis.
1. Go to BLS.gov and look for:
2. the Unemployment Rate
3. the Consumer Price Index (inflation). 
Once in the CPI page go to More Formatting Options and request the 12 Month Percent Change.
-Get the Effective Federal Funds Rate from the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank FRED database. 
The relation between interest rates, unemployment, and inflation is clearly stated in this Federal Reserve – PLEASE SEE ATTACHED
The purpose of the box is to analyze these variables within a common framework with emphasis on the Fed’s mandate during the Great Recession with the Taylor Rule in mind. Make sure you plot the variables separately. The charts should have a title and have the axis labeled (with time in x-axis, and label the variable and its units in the y-axis).
SHORTCUT:
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis compiles and stores economic data from many sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics. One-stop shopping for the data in this box can be found here:
https://fred.stlouisfed.org
The series are:
– Unemployment Rate (UNRATE)
– Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average (CPIAUCSL) —it is in levels, so you have to go to Edit Graph and in Units request it as “Percent Change from a Year Ago” to have the year over year change in prices.
– Effective Federal Funds Rate (DFF) —it is in daily frequency, so you have to request it as monthly to match the other variables.
You can use the ready-made charts from FRED, though I encourage you to develop further your graphing and communication skills in Excel.
Tips/Must Haves
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FEDFUNDS – the link to get the effective federal funds rate
Download the CPI table from the BLS.gov and use it to plot my line graph in Excel
The link is on the right side mid-way down the page in the LATEST NUMBERS section (click on the tiny graph icon for the CPI). Then, change the date at the top of the page, and then in More Formatting Options, select the 12-month Percent Change, then Retrieve Data. Or you can also take the SHORTCUT to the ready-made graphs at the bottom of the Assignment’s instructions and use them in your Box without point penalty.