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GDAE
Teaching Modules
on Social and Environmental Issues in Economics
These
modules, designed for use as supplements in undergraduate-level
courses, are available in Adobe Acrobat format.(Get
the free Adobe
Reader.) The
modules are downloadable free of charge after completion
of a brief registration
form.
1.
Economics in Context Modules
2.
Topical Modules on Contemporary Issues
3.
Environmental Issues in Economics
Economics
in Context Modules
Economics
in Context: Goals, Issues, and Behavior
by Neva Goodwin, Julie A. Nelson, Frank Ackerman,
and Thomas Weisskopf
This module draws on the first two chapters of
Microeconomics
in Context to present the study of economics
in a broad social and environmental context. The
traditional economic goal of efficiency is presented
as an intermediate goal in the pursuit of a final
goal of well-being. The module introduces the issues
of externalities and transactions costs, and, crucially,
adds the activity of “resource maintenance”
to the usual discussion of the activities of production,
distribution, and consumption. Finally, the module
updates the standard treatment of economic agents
by drawing on recent research on motivations and
behavior.
The student reading consists of 25 pages which
includes discussion questions, review questions,
and exercises. Instructor notes are also included
for teachers.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
Consumption
and the Consumer Society
by Neva Goodwin, Julie A. Nelson, Frank Ackerman,
and Thomas Weisskopf
This module presents material drawn from chapter
10 of Microeconomics
in Context to explore the various motivations
behind consumer behavior. The historical development
of the “consumer society” is summarized,
including a discussion of the institutions underlying
mass consumerism. The relationship between consumption
and well-being is surveyed, as well as the ecological
impacts of consumption.
The student reading consists of 21 pages including
discussion questions, review questions, and exercises.
Instructor notes are also included for teachers.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
Macroeconomic
Activity in Context
by Neva Goodwin, Julie A. Nelson, and Jonathan Harris.
This module, which draws on the draft first chapter
of
Macroeconomics in Context, presents an introduction
to macroeconomic goals and a basic "roadmap"
of the most significant events and theories of the
last century. We place these subjects, however,
into a broader context of concern for well-being.
The module defines the three goals of macroeconomics
as (1) improvements in living standards, (2) stability
and security, and (3) financial, social, and ecological
sustainability.
The student reading consists of 23 pages which
includes discussion questions, review questions,
and exercises. Instructor notes are also available
for teachers.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
Useful
Macroeconomic Tools and Concepts
by Neva Goodwin, Julie A. Nelson, and Jonathan Harris.
This module, which draws on the draft second chapter
of
Macroeconomics in Context, introduces standard
concepts of economic modeling, efficiency, scarcity,
opportunity cost, the production possibilities frontier,
and the advantages of market systems. It also includes
a review of graphing techniques. However, the module
sets these into a broader context of concern for
well-being by discussing the institutional requirements
of markets and the limitations of markets.
The student reading consists of 34 pages which
includes discussion questions, review questions,
and exercises. Instructor notes are also available
for teachers.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
Macroeconomic
Measurement: The Current Approach
by Neva Goodwin, Julie A. Nelson, and Jonathan Harris.
This module, which draws on a draft early chapter
of
Macroeconomics in Context, presents a fairly
standard introduction to national income accounting,
but with a "contextual" flavor. It emphasizes
that the accounts have been created for specific
purposes, and shows how the natural environment
as well as investment and production carried out
by entities other than businesses have historically
been neglected.
The student reading consists of 38 pages which
includes discussion questions, review questions,
and exercises. Instructor notes are also available
for teachers.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
Macroeconomic
Measurement: Environmental and Social Dimensions
by Neva Goodwin, Julie A. Nelson, and Jonathan Harris.
This module, drawn from the chapter of
Macroeconomics in Context which follows our
presentation of "Macroeconomic Measurement:
The Current Approach," presents an overview
of innovations in national accounting related to
measuring well-being. The module describes satellite
accounts for the environment, methods of counting
household production, and the construction of well-being
indicators such as the Genuine Progress Indicator
and the Human Development Index.
The student reading consists of 30 pages which
includes discussion questions, review questions,
and exercises. Instructor notes are also available
for teachers.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
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Topical
Modules on Contemporary Issues
Taxes
in the United States – History, Fairness,
and Current Policy Issues
by Brian Roach
Tax policy is one of the most debated, and often
misunderstood, issues in U.S. politics. This module
provides students with an overview of the U.S. tax
system, including the historical development of
tax policies. The difference between progressive
and regressive taxes is explained and current data
are presented showing how the tax burden falls on
different groups.
The student reading consists of 37 pages which
includes discussion questions, glossary, references,
and additional resources.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
Corporate
Power in a Global Economy (Updated for 2008)
by Brian Roach
Standard economic theory fails to address the
economic and political significance of modern multinational
corporations. In this module explanations of firm
growth based on economies of scale and scope are
supplemented with a discussion of the transnational
mobility and influence of large corporations. The
social and environmental responsibilities of multinationals
are considered, with an emphasis on externalities
and the need for a “triple bottom line.”
The module concludes with a discussion of ways to
encourage large firms to adopt goals that are aligned
with the broader goals of society.
The student reading consists of 36 pages which
includes discussion questions, glossary, references,
and additional resources.
Go to gthe registration
page to download this module.
Corporate Governance and Accountability
Neva R. Goodwin
Some managers believe that they need not concern themselves with social and environmental issues because markets can be trusted to enforce efficiency and make businesses serve the social good. But economists recognize that such beneficial results occur only if certain assumptions hold. In reality, market failures may exist because of numerous factors, including externalities, transaction costs, market power, problems of information, and consideration of equity. This module discusses the issues market failures raise for managers and some of the potential solutions.
The module includes a 14-page background reading, 25 cases illustrating real-world examples of market failure, and numerous references for additional information. This module is freely available from the CasePlace.org website.
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Environmental
Issues in Economics
Macroeconomics
and the Environment
by Jonathan M. Harris and Anne-Marie Codur
This module presents an expanded circular flow
analysis that takes the biosphere into account.
It reviews critiques and alternatives to GNP/GDP,
emphasizing natural resource and environmental as
well as social sustainability, then discusses the
implications of long-term growth of population and
economic output, contrasting the goal of economic
growth with the goal of sustainable development.
The student reading consists of 35 pages which
includes discussion questions, glossary, references,
and problems.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
Microeconomics
and the Environment
by Jonathan M. Harris and Anne-Marie Codur
This module places the standard economic analysis
of externalities and public goods in the context
of the two paradigms of economics and ecology. It
presents elements of economic analysis of the global
climate change issue, sustainable fisheries management,
and some concepts of industrial ecology.
The student reading consists of 58 pages which
includes discussion questions, glossary, references,
and problems.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
Trade
and the Environment
by Jonathan M. Harris
This module, based on chapter 19 from Harris’s
Textbook, Environmental
and Natural Resource Economics: A Contemporary Approach,
presents an analysis combining trade theory with
the theory of externalities to show how the basic
principles of gains from trade must be modified
in a real world with many environmental complications.
The institutional and policy issues involved in
considerations of sustainable trade and “greening”
global environmental institutions encourage the
student to place the theoretical issues in the context
of real-world policy.
The student reading consists of 24 pages which
includes discussion questions, references, and web
links.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
The
Economics of Global Climate Change
(Updated for 2008)
by Jonathan M. Harris and Brian Roach
This module, based on chapter 18 from Harris’s
Textbook, Environmental
and Natural Resource Economics: A Contemporary Approach,
discusses the scientific evidence on climate change,
including recent projections on temperature and
sea-level rise. It then evaluates the strengths
and weaknesses of economic analysis of the issue,
including discussion of valuation of environmental
damages, carbon taxes, tradable permits, and current
policy issues related to the Kyoto process.
The student reading consists of 42 pages which
includes discussion questions, references, exercises,
and web links.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
Environmental
Justice: Income, Race, and Health
by Rachel Massey
Data and case studies are presented illustrating
how minority and low-income communities often bear
a disproportionate share of environmental costs.
The uses and limitations of economic analysis are
explored, including the topics of valuing human
life and health and the difference between efficiency
and equity. The module addresses issues of environmental
justice both in the United States and internationally.
Suggestions for more equitable environmental policies
are presented.
The student reading consists of 24 pages which
includes discussion questions, glossary, web links,
references, and suggestions for additional readings.
Go to the registration
page to download this module.
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