RFLA 100C 12 - The Big Picture: Toil and Trouble (CRN 10895)

Will a tariff war with China cause your next smartphone to cost $4000? What does universal health care mean and would it bankrupt the U.S.? Is green energy sustainable? These examples of hotly contested issues all involve understanding the challenges of economic policy and also how decisions made on a global scale have consequences for your everyday lives. Our encompassing approach to headline events looks at the different perspectives of the topics. We explore the stakeholders, including individuals and institutions, who influence and make policy decisions that can change your daily behavior. Also analyzed are the incentives constructed in policies that act as guides for reasoned choices made by individuals. Armed with data and facts about real-world challenges, we develop an economic way of thinking about your surroundings.