AP Microeconomics Summer Assignment
Welcome to the wonderful word of AP Microeconomics!!! As a student in the class, you are the lucky recipient of a summer assignment giving you a preview into the topics we will focus on in the coming year. Below, you’ll find the details of this assignment. In order for me to make sure you have received this assignment, please SEND AN EMAIL TO ME LETTING ME KNOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE DIRECTIONS AND WILL COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT AS PROVIDED. THIS EMAIL SHOULD BE SENT NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, JUNE 19TH, 2009. My email address is rstern2@boston.k12.ma.us .
Task 1: The following book and documentary are required reading/viewing for this course:
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price directed by Robert Greenwald
Written responses to the questions below must be turned in on Monday, September 14th, 2009. Responses must be written in complete sentences and must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font with standard margins. For each response, you must support your answer with a quotation from the book (only for Nickel and Dimed). Please provide the page number on which the quotation can be found.
From Nickel and Dimed:
1.) Were your perceptions of blue-collar Americans transformed or reinforced by this book? Have your notions of poverty and prosperity changed since reading the book? What about your own treatment of waiters, maids, and salespeople?
2.) Many advocacy groups are currently involved in struggles for a “living wage.” What is a living wage, and what factors do you believe must be considered in order to create a true living wage?
3.) The workers in Nickel and Dimed receive almost no benefits – no overtime pay, no retirement funds, and no health insurance. Is this fair? Do you think an increase in salary would redress the lack of benefits?
4.) Nickel and Dimed takes place in 1998-2000, a time of unprecedented economic prosperity in America. Do you think Ehrenreich’s experience would be different in today’s economy? How so?
5.) Ehrenreich is sympathetic to unionism but acknowledges that they have some shortcomings. From the businesses’, employees’, and consumers’ perspectives, what are the benefits and costs of unionism for each? (Creating a table to answer this question might be helpful.)
6.) Why didn’t the low wage workers just switch to higher paying jobs? What circumstances discourage low wage workers from seeking out and taking the best paying job that they can find?
From Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price:
1.) According to the film, what business practices did Wal-Mart use to achieve success and profit?
2.) How successful has Wal-Mart become? (What factors can you point to that demonstrate Wal-Mart’s success?)
3.) What arguments are put forth in this film? Do you agree with them? Why or why not?
4.) It has been argued that director Greenwald took some “cheap shots” against Wal-Mart in this film. What arguments presented do you think unfairly portrayed Wal-Mart as a ruthless, uncaring superstore out only for profit?
5.) This film neglects to mention the benefits a superstore, such as Wal-Mart, offers. What benefits are important to consider when debating the advantages and disadvantages of companies like Wal-Mart, which have been able to dominate the market?
Task 2: Read “Chapter 26: What is the role of the government: Political-economics systems, snags in private solutions, and remedies with a role for government” from the book, Economics by Example by David A. Anderson. This selection has been provided to you with this assignment sheet.
Be ready to talk about this selection in class in September!
