Politics through the Lens of Economics
Term Paper Guideline
Masayuki Kudamatsu
17 January, 2018
(for any other courses, too, actually)
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Timeline
Email a PDF copy to kudamatsu@osipp.osaka-u.ac.jp
Wed 24 Jan
Term paper workshop
Wed 31 Jan
13:00-14:30
16:20-17:50
Office Hour
16:20-17:50
Office Hour
Wed 07 Feb
16:20-17:50
Office Hour
Wed 14 Feb
16:20-17:50
Office Hour
Thu 15 Feb
9:00
Submission Deadline
Cancelled
Office Hour
Room 603 at OSIPP Building
Structure of your paper
Motivation & Main argument
Reasons for main argument
Refutation of counter-arguments
Implications from main argument
Review Lecture 2 for more detail
How to proceed
Pick one model and assume it explains the policy of your choice
even if you're not sure yet
Having a "model" in mind makes it easier
to weave various pieces of information in complex reality
Why?
How to proceed
Pick one model and assume it explains the policy of your choice
even if you're not sure yet
Then, list up reasons (facts & data)
If you learn that the model can't explain the policy...
Then, move on to another model, until you find the right model
cf. How to argue a model explains reality (Lecture 3)
e.g., "The political agency model does not explain why gun control isn't enacted because ...."
Turn this into the refutation of a counter-argument
How to proceed (cont.)
If none of the models explains the policy of your choice,
make this as your main argument
Finally, write the motivation and the implications
Then organize your paragraphs into:
Reasons for main argument
Refutation of counter-arguments
Now some details about writing a paper...
1
2
Structure of each paragraph
How to cite a source of information
1. Structure of each paragraph
The first sentences summarise the paragraph
Then describe facts, examples, data, etc.
This way, the reader can just read the first sentences of each paragraph to figure out what the whole paper is about
Read, for example, The Economist magazine articles on Japan for how it's done by professional writers
Source: The Economist (2016) "What the world can learn from the latest PISA test results: Culture or policy?"
Singapore, the consistently high-achiever in PISA, now does even better: it is the top-performing country in each subject area. The average pupil's maths score of 564 suggests Singaporean teens are roughly three years ahead of their American peers, with a score of 470.
Examples from an article in The Economist magazine
Other East Asian countries also score highly across most domains, as they have done since PISA was launched 15 year ago. Japan and South Korea, as well as cities such as Hong Kong and Macao, both autonomous territories of China, and Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, all have above-average results in science and maths.
PISA has flaws. It is one of many standardised tests, and tests are not all there is to learning. But it matters. It is the most influential research report in education for good reason. It offers informed guidance on what policymakers should do to fix their school systems. Just as importantly, it tells them what not to do.
Source: The Economist (2016) "What the world can learn from the latest PISA test results: Culture or policy?"
Examples from an article in The Economist magazine (cont.)
2. Don't forget citations
(i.e. sources of information)
Two types of citation & Why important
The reader can check if your evidence is credible.
Data
Someone else's argument
The reader can tell whether it is your original argument or not
2. How to cite a source of information
Author(s)
Title
Publication (magazine, newspaper, book publisher, website, etc.)
Year of publication
Crucial for the reader to know if information is out-dated
2. How to cite a source of information (cont.)
Method 1: Add a footnote
Around 35-50% of Japanese citizens do not support any particular political parties since the late 1990s.
1
1
田中愛治「無党派層のこれまでと現在」nippon.com, 18 July, 2012. www.nippon.com/ja/in-depth/a01104/
2. How to cite a source of information (cont.)
Method 2: Harvard Referencing
Around 35-50% of Japanese citizens do not support any particular political parties since the late 1990s (田中 2012).
田中愛治 (2012)「無党派層のこれまでと現在」nippon.com, 18 July, 2012. www.nippon.com/ja/in-depth/a01104/
References
Then add a list of references at the end of the paper
2. How to cite a source of information (cont.)
For more detail, look at MIT Library's guideline
A few words on Wikipedia...
It's often a great starting point to learn about something
But always double-check what's written there
If you don't see a citation, doubt its trustworthiness
If you do see a citation, read it on your own
Example: 新卒一括採用
But Wikipedia helps you learn the phrases you should Google
Two more things...
Share information & cooperate with your fellow students
Don't think on your own
To free your mind from 受験勉強
Don't think on your own
Ask me during my office hour
Ask other students / friends / other professors
Google in Japanese and in English
Share information with other students
You may find information on a policy of someone else's choice
Then share it with him/her
Good luck!
Politics through the Lens of Economics: Term Paper Guideline
By Masayuki Kudamatsu
