For this class you will write a paper, approximately 10 to 15 pages in length, based on research on a specific topic of your choice. The purpose of the paper is threefold: (1) to acquaint you with the primary sources available in the library and sources now obtainable on the internet; and (2) to approach topics by positing problems to be solved rather than an as narrative to be told. Among the primary sources available are business magazines and popular magazines that run for over a century : Fortune, Baron’s, Wall Street Journal, and others. There is the popular press (Time, Life, Look, Newsweek, New Republic, etc.) A second source of information is government documents (5th floor). A third source is Historical Statistics of the United States, either 1976 or 2000 editions.

Your research paper should include at least one table or illustration using economic data that justifies/substantiates the thesis of your paper.

You may pick any topic you wish.

As examples of possible topics:

Economists in the 19th century on the business cycle, unions, wages, etc.

Any analysis of economic growth, development, changes, etc., in the 20th century.

Technological change in an industry or the theory of technological change.

Agricultural change.

An aspect of the Great Depression (theories; actual declines; wages, etc.)

The managerial techniques of Alfred P. Sloan.

Any segment of the economy over a time period (autos in the 1950s; radios in the 1920s; movies in the 1930s; fashion in the 1960s)

Social problems and the economy: ecology, pollution, poverty, minority participation, immigrants.

Government policies: tariff protection, internal improvements in the 19th century; court cases, social security, Government agencies (SEC, ICC, etc.), interstate highway system.

Mass production effects; labor unions.

Corporate culture (by using either general studies about culture or by investigating a single company).

Theories on private property; or the law on property rights in some time period.

Bankruptcies of railroads in the 1960s.

Panics and business failures.

History of IBM and why it won.

I added a copy of a previous paper i wrote for the same course.