MACROECONOMICS TERM PAPER (15%) The paper should be well organized and should an

MACROECONOMICS TERM PAPER (15%)
The paper should be well organized and should answer the following questions about Business
Cycles:
1. What is the Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic
Research (NBER)? Who are they and what do they do? Hint: start with a brief summary
of “what is the Business Cycle.”
2. How does the NBER define and date recessions? What are the start and end dates
(month & year) of the 2007-2009 recession in the U.S.? How long did it last?
3. What are some important aspects and effects of the 2007-2009 recession?
The paper is due on the last day of class. You may hand in the paper earlier and I will give you
feedback on how to improve the paper for a better grade. I will not accept any papers after
the last day of class and you will receive a “zero” for the paper.
GUIDELINE: Your paper must be typed, double-spaced, and around five pages in length (not
including tables, graphs, and endnotes). Margins should be 1” to 1½” on all sides; font size
should not exceed 12 points. (This paper is in 12 font.) Staple together the pages of your
paper. Your essay should be in your words. If you must use a quotation, please make sure that
it is short. Please use endnotes to cite the source of the material that you use in your paper.
Your work will be assessed based on the following considerations: how well you focus on and
answer the questions asked in the topic of the paper, specific evidence provided to support
your argument, clarity, organization, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
You may go to the webpages http://www.nber.org/programs/efg/efg.html,
http://www.nber.org/cycles.html, http://www.nber.org/cycles/main.html and more generally
the website www.nber.org to do research for the paper. You may use other source material.
Make sure to cite the source of the material by endnotes.
Please note the college’s statement on plagiarism, as found in the College Catalog: “Students
should realize that presenting the words and ideas of others as their own is dishonest. In
writing, students must fully acknowledge the source of any paraphrased passages and any ideas
which they have borrowed. Failure to conform to these academic standards is plagiarism and
may result in a failing grade for the course and/or serious disciplinary sanctions as outlined in
the Code of Conduct.”