opinion essay In this course, we have learned at least three broad ways in which economies can be organized byPure Capitalism, Pure Command System, and Mixed Economies. The latter approach adheres centrally to Market organization with some form of government intervention (how much of the latter varies from country to country). Please present in this paper which of these three ways of economic organization you believe is the most Scriptural and why. 3 pages APA worjs cited double spaced

 

BU 201—Microeconomics

Faith Integration Essay

Spring 2013

 

I would like you to write a full 3-page opinion essay on the topic below. The Final draft is

due Thursday, March 28th. A COMPLETE first draft is to be submitted IN CLASS on or

before Thursday, March 21st. Failure to turn in a first draft in complete form will result in

a 15-point reduction in your paper’s final grade. First drafts may NOT be turned in late.

 

The Topic: In this course, we have learned at least three broad ways in which economies

can be organized (pages 41-44 in your text): Pure Capitalism, Pure Command System,

and Mixed Economies. The latter approach adheres centrally to Market organization

with some form of government intervention (how much of the latter varies from country to

country). Please present in this paper which of these three ways of economic organization

you believe is the most Scriptural and why.

 

Pre-Writing analysis: First, please give me your best analysis of this topic, but know that

I am not trying to box anyone in as to what their opinion ought to be. Further, when

answering this question, you should do some thoughtful investigation of the subject matter

from an economic standpoint. Then I suggest that you take into account the following

miscellaneous references to help with your Scriptural examination of the topic (the

following are suggestions, not requirements):

1. Israel in the Old/New Testament—any patterns of economic trade evident? How

much was the government involved/not involved?

2. Man’s sinful state (Romans 3)—does that have a role as to which particular form of

economic organization may be most preferred Scripturally?

3. Man’s freedom to choose, including economically (Milton Friedman is a good

reading source on the subject of freedom and economics, although he did not write from

a Biblical viewpoint). Are there insights from Scripture on individual and/or collective

freedom that would be helpful to this analysis?

4. Adam Smith’s invisible hand theory–does that lend any insight as to which type of

economic organization is most preferred? Does Scripture support this theory in any way?

5. The economic assumption of self-interested behavior–does that principle lend any

insight to the topic at hand, and how might Scripture answer this assumption and the

question at hand (See Philippians 2 for example)?

 

REQUIRED:

1. You must research at least two authored sources (in addition to Scripture), one that

looks at the subject of faith and economics, and one that looks at the broad ECONOMIC

contrasts one can make between capitalism and socialism.

2. Further you must reference at least 5 Scripture passages as a basis for justifying

your position from a Scriptural point of view. These Scriptures should be referenced in full

on a separate page prior to your Reference page (see below for more details).

 

Writing Guidelines: Here are some guidelines for the writing process:

1. Mechanics: Paper should be a minimum of 3 full pages in length (not including title

page, Scripture reference page, and reference page); typed; use 12-point font, Arial or

Times New Roman; and have 1-inch margins on all sides.

 

2. Organization: This is not a long paper, so I am leaving the organization of it up to

you. However, the paper must demonstrate a unity of singular thought from beginning to

end. That is, make sure that you have a good thesis statement in your opening paragraph

so that I the reader know where this paper is headed. Make your arguments substantive

and cohesive, all leading to a good conclusion.

3. Grading: Your grade will be based on proper use of APA writing format (10%),

content (30%), your ability to apply economic and Scriptural principles to the topic

assigned (30%), and how well you write the paper (30%–see attached rubric for specifics

on the latter).

4. Audience: Consider your audience to be someone who is already familiar with basic

economic concepts. Thus do not repeat terms with which the reader is already familiar

(economic self-interest, for example). Go right to answering AND analyzing the assigned

topic.

5. Formality: You may write any portion of this paper in the first person, since you are

offering your own analysis and opinions here.

6. Quotations: You may NOT use any quotations, including Scripture. If you have

ideas that you want to express that are not your own, then paraphrase these ideas, and give

credit for the idea with a proper citation.

7. Citation and format: You are to use APA as your writing format. Here are some

things to remember when implementing APA for this particular assignment:

a. Include a Title page

b. Please do NOT use an abstract page, since the paper is short.

c. For all substantial ideas or facts not your own, use an appropriate parenthetical

citation.

d. You should NOT write Scripture passages in the paper itself. Rather on a

separate page after the paper itself, but preceding the Reference page, you should type out

all the Scriptures (a minimum of 5 is required—see above) as indicated in the following

example: Philippians 2:1-5: “{type in passage}”. {Version of Bible used; New American

Standard Bible, for example}.

e. Include a Reference page for all sources cited, including the Bible version you are

using

8. Plagiarism: Plagiarism constitutes a direct violation of the college academic

integrity policy. Hence, anyone who plagiarizes a paper by pulling all or whole sections

of a paper from any internet resource (or any resource at all for that matter) shall receive

a grade of zero for the paper and be subject to the provisions of the college academic

integrity policy. All papers should be your own work.