Assignment task 1: What is the current U.S. trade balance? You have just read arguments for and against sustaining a trade deficit-which do you find more persuasive and why? Does your answer change depending on the country you think about (i.e. would you give one answer for the United States, another for Japan, and another for Peru?). What is the relationship between trade deficits and the potential for financial crises? How can trade deficits have a positive economic effect in a country? Again, does a state's ability to sustain trade deficits depend on the size and/or strength of its economy?
Assignment task 2: How has the American economy changed over the past 20 years? Who benefits and who loses from this transition? What role has the U.S. government played in trying to smooth this transition for American workers? What additional measures do you think the government could implement to help workers? What can be done at the federal, state, and local levels? What changes have you seen in your schools and universities that reflect the changes that are taking place in the economy? What sorts of classes are offered today that would not have been a decade ago? What sorts of companies are hiring students today? Is this different from before?