Course Outlines / Econ 4820

Workshop on Canadian Economic Policy          

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         Final version (as at Sept. 11, 2009)

Time & Place: Wednesday (2:30 – 5:20 pm) in Room  128  SJC  

D. Hum: Instructor         (Term 1+ 2)              

Macro and Micro Reference Texts:
Parkin & Bade, Modern Macroeconomics, 5th edition, Pearson.
H. Varian, Intermediate Microeconomics, Worth Publishers

Additional Suggested Sources:
Department of Finance Economic Review (annual)
Bank of Canada, Annual Report (annual)

Aims and Objectives of Course:
Students are expected to have mastered the material of intermediate microeconomics and macroeconomics (Econ2450 and Econ2460 or Econ2700 and Econ3700, Econ2470 and Econ2480 or Econ2800 and Econ3800), as well as be familiar with basic statistics and empirical techniques used in economics; i.e., Econ3170 and Econ3180. A working knowledge of Canadian political institutions and public policies is also necessary.

The aim of this course is to train students to examine various aspects of economics within the Canadian context. It will require not only economic theory and empirical evidence, but it will also be necessary to review legislation, policy, programs, etc. as the need arises.

This course also places great emphasis on developing skills such as writing, formal presentation and defense of research, and “soft skills” such as co-ordination and project management. To that end, there is a component for project management and presentation that will be assigned a mark.

Course Requirements: (Term 1) 

(1) Students will be required to submit a " report” on a non-economics topic. This assignment is to assess your ability to write. Maximum length is 500 words.

(2) Students will be assigned to a group to work as a team of economists on an assigned topic.  The research must be presented (not read) to the entire class and then submitted as a "term paper".  The main text of the paper must not exceed 4000 words (about 16 pages). Assignment of marks (to be explained) is by team members.

(3) Each group member must make a brief presentation (not read) to the entire class, and answer questions.

The weighting of the course elements for the first term is as follows:

      10% (1) Writing Assignment (due Sept. 30, 2009)
      30% (2) Group Project (due Dec 9, 2009)
      10% (3) Class presentation (Dec 2 or Dec 9, 2009 - tentative)

Course Requirements: (Term 2)

(1) Students will submit a "project proposal" on a topic for approval. The proposal should clarify the contribution the student will make as an economist to the issue being addressed. The written proposal cannot be longer than 1000 words (four double-spaced pages, excluding graphs, tables and bibliography). The proposal must include a substantial bibliography that demonstrates familiarity with the relevant issues and analyses in the Canadian context.

(2) Students will submit a "final report" to the instructor.  Each student must contact the instructor at least every second week to report progress made and to seek feedback.  The report must clarify the contribution of the student as an economist to the issues addressed in the report.  The written final report must be no longer than 3750 words (15 double-spaced pages,14 Font, excluding graphs, tables and bibliography).

NOTE: Word limitations must be adhered to; final reports and proposals that exceed the word limitations will be returned unmarked for compression.

The weighting of the course elements for the second term is as follows: (this may change, depending on number of students).


10% (1) Written project proposal (due Jan 13, 2010 at 2:30 pm)
40% (2) Written Final Report (due last day of class at 2:30 pm)

Term paper must be typed double spaced, 14 Font, properly formatted according to either Canadian Public Policy or Canadian Journal of Economics. An electronic file of the report must be submitted as an email attachment simultaneously with the hard copy. Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.

Structure of Course:

The first term will consist of group discussion of selected topics and group research.

The second term will consist of individual tutorial sessions and a term paper.

Students will receive "percentage point" grades for each component.  The grades are added for both terms and then converted to a letter grade acording to the following: A+  = (90+); A = (80-89); B+ = (70 - 79); B = (60 - 69); C+ = (50-59); C = (40 - 49); D = (30-39); F = (below 30).

Notices required by University Regulation for Course Outline in Faculty of Arts

Evaluative feedback will be provided by the voluntary withdrawal deadline date, which is:   March 19, 2010

Students will not be permitted to write make-up tests or hand in assignments late, except for documented medical or compassionate reasons.

Students appealing any term work whether it be an informal or formal appeal must appeal their term work within 10 working days of receiving their mark.

Academic Dishonesty

Students should acquaint themselves with the University’s policy on plagiarism and cheating and examination impersonation. (see Section 7 on page 29 of the 09/10 University of Manitoba Undergraduate Calendar).

Penalties for Academic Dishonesty

The common penalty in Arts for plagiarism on a written assignment is F on the paper and F (CW) (for Compulsory Withdrawal) for the course. For the most serious acts of plagiarism, such as the purchase of an essay and repeat violations, this penalty can also include suspension for a period of up to five years from registration in courses taught in a particular department in Arts or from all courses taught in this Faculty.

The Faculty also reserves the right to submit student work that is suspected of being plagiarized to Internet sites designed to detect plagiarism.

The common penalty in Arts for academic dishonesty on a test or examination is F for the paper, F (CW) for the course, and a one-year suspension from courses acceptable for credit in the Faculty. For more serious acts of academic dishonesty on a test or examination, such as repeat violations, this penalty can also include suspension for a period of up to five years from registration in courses taught in a particular department in Arts or from all courses taught in or accepted for credit by this Faculty. The Faculty is considering adopting a zero tolerance approach for “cheating” on either a term test or a final examination. Under this approach, students for whom allegations of cheating has been upheld will receive a final course grade of F (CW) and a minimum two year suspension.

It is also a serious breach of academic integrity to manipulate, falsify, or falsely represent data used in a paper, presentation, or thesis. For example, the Faculty of Graduate Studies says data manipulation includes “[creating] the data used in a paper or presentation without performing theneeded experimental [or field] work to produce the data, or changing the data so that your results are what you were hoping for.” (http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/graduate_studies/media/AcademicIntegrity200804.pdf).

The Faculty of Arts treats data manipulation as exceptional cases of academic fraud, with penalties of ‘F’ on the paper or thesis, ‘F-CW’ in the course, and suspension ranging from one to five years.

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