Overview
Objective: The objective of this assignment is to allow students to apply their knowledge of economic principles and public policy analysis to socio-economic topics, particularly of interest to the UAE. Students will identify a topic of interest and propose a public policy to address the issue. They will identify the likely treatment and the expected intended and unintended effects of the policy and its implementation.
Instructions:
- Each student will choose a socio-economic topic of particular interest to the UAE.
- Possible topics: Taxation, Tourism, Sustainability/Environment, Health and Human Capital, Immigration, Entrepreneurship
- Based on the knowledge of economic principles and public policy analysis, the student is expected to propose a suitable public policy and outline the likely effects.
- The completed policy proposal will be submitted as a report. The expected structure is outlined below.
The report should be structured as detailed below. There is a suggested word count of 2000 words. The distribution of the word count across the sections is flexible. There is a tolerance of 15%, i.e. the report length is expected not to exceed 2300 words.
Report Structure:
Introduction: [300 words]
- Discuss the chosen economic topic and why it is of significant interest to the UAE. Clearly explain the importance of the topic for the economic future of UAE. Cite at least 2 newspaper articles or articles in the popular press to support your argument.
Literature Review: [600 words]
- Conduct a brief literature review on the chosen economic topic. Summarize existing research on public policies affecting the chosen topic. Highlight any gaps or controversies/mixed evidence in the literature. This will help in justifying the need for your proposed public policy.
- At least 6 journal articles need to be cited.
- Discuss at least 2 existing public policies related to the topic in UAE. Cite the sources
Policy Proposal and Implementation: [800 words]
- Discuss the details of the policy providing details on the following aspects
- Who is the targeted treatment group?
- How will the policy be implemented?
- How do you expect the policy to work? What do you expect the effect to be?
- Do you expect any unintended consequences? What could you do to minimize them?
- Do you expect any spillover effects?
- How would you test for the efficacy of the policy? If you wanted to test the policy before widespread implementation, what would you do?
Conclusion: [300 words]
- Summarize the key points of your proposed policy. Discuss why this might be better or might be a good supplement to existing policy in the UAE. Briefly discuss how the policy is likely to benefit the citizens of UAE in the future.