The Economics of Social Issues
First Edition Self, © 2017, 274 pages
This textbook is suitable as a supplement in an economics course.
Request Examination CopyPrices and ISBNs
This title is available in the following formats.
|
Product
Description ISBN |
Description | ISBN | Bookstore (Net Price) |
Student (Retail Price) |
Supplements
The available Supplements are listed below:
Click here to access ancillaries save_altInstant Access (and Coupons)
All students can have free Instant Access to an eBook for the first two weeks of class while they procure their textbook. They will also receive a 10%-off coupon valid at the BVT web store for the best possible price. Get instant access codes here.
Exam Bank
Power Point Slides
Description
The basic pedagogical approach to this book is to focus on contemporary social issues in America and to use Economics as a tool to better understand the social issues. The approach is not a quantitative or a theoretical one but rather a very hands-on and practical approach to social issues. Thus, the economic theory has been kept to a minimum. The objective of this text is to use basic Economic Principles to understand and explain social issues that Americans face on a regular basis. What makes this book unique is that the social issues addressed in this book are those identified by the American people, revealed via their responses to public polls. This is the first time an attempt such as this has been made.
One may wonder why would we use Economics to understand social issues, or where does Economics fit in with social issues. This question usually arises from a lack of understanding what the subject of Economics is about. Economics explains how we allocate resources which basically translates in simple English to what determines the choices we make. Social issues develop as a result of choices we make. Thus, the connection between social issues and Economics is almost inextricable. The expectation is for students to be able to see just how inextricably different social issues are connected with each other and with economics. One can try to visualize the relationship between Economics and social issues like looking at either side of a two-sided picture. Each side gives you a different perspective but both are looking at the same picture. We hope, the reader will be able to see both sides of the picture through the experience of what they learn from this text.
Even though the primary focus of this text is on social issues, it also wants students to learn and appreciate Economics because it provides the tools to understand the social issues. We hope a textbook like this one will dispel the myth about Economics being a ‘hard’ or difficult’ subject and enable students to see just how helpful Economics can really be. This is an introductory level textbook so it provides an overview and does not go in-depth into the social issues being discussed or into the economic theories being used to understand the social issues. However, the hope is to make students aware and interested both in the social issues and in Economics. No prior knowledge of Economics is necessary to use this textbook.
In the first Chapter we lay out the different issues which have been identified by the American people as being top priority issues. In Chapter Two, we lay out some basic Economics Principles and Theories. We return to these principles and theories as we discuss individual social issues in the following chapters. Thereafter, the chapters follow a predictable pattern. Each chapter begins by introducing students to a particular social issue. It offers a brief historical context to understand where and how this issue originated. Thereafter, the chapter explains where things stand today and the different views Americans have about this particular issue. Finally, the student is shown how simple theories which were introduced at the beginning of the textbook can be applied to understand deeper social issues troubling America today.
One may wonder why would we use Economics to understand social issues, or where does Economics fit in with social issues. This question usually arises from a lack of understanding what the subject of Economics is about. Economics explains how we allocate resources which basically translates in simple English to what determines the choices we make. Social issues develop as a result of choices we make. Thus, the connection between social issues and Economics is almost inextricable. The expectation is for students to be able to see just how inextricably different social issues are connected with each other and with economics. One can try to visualize the relationship between Economics and social issues like looking at either side of a two-sided picture. Each side gives you a different perspective but both are looking at the same picture. We hope, the reader will be able to see both sides of the picture through the experience of what they learn from this text.
Even though the primary focus of this text is on social issues, it also wants students to learn and appreciate Economics because it provides the tools to understand the social issues. We hope a textbook like this one will dispel the myth about Economics being a ‘hard’ or difficult’ subject and enable students to see just how helpful Economics can really be. This is an introductory level textbook so it provides an overview and does not go in-depth into the social issues being discussed or into the economic theories being used to understand the social issues. However, the hope is to make students aware and interested both in the social issues and in Economics. No prior knowledge of Economics is necessary to use this textbook.
In the first Chapter we lay out the different issues which have been identified by the American people as being top priority issues. In Chapter Two, we lay out some basic Economics Principles and Theories. We return to these principles and theories as we discuss individual social issues in the following chapters. Thereafter, the chapters follow a predictable pattern. Each chapter begins by introducing students to a particular social issue. It offers a brief historical context to understand where and how this issue originated. Thereafter, the chapter explains where things stand today and the different views Americans have about this particular issue. Finally, the student is shown how simple theories which were introduced at the beginning of the textbook can be applied to understand deeper social issues troubling America today.