Write 1000 words on one of the following. In the style of an Economist op ed or analysis article.

An op-ed is the American term for an opinion essay, appearing in magazine or newspaper. They are shorter than academic essays and journal articles, but they still are required to carry supporting argument and evidence and not be mere polemic and assertion.

There is an art to writing these—so that they summarise and compress much acquired knowledge and content. It is like presenting an analytical business case (which you should not confuse with marketing or ‘pitching’). The point is to understand, illuminate and analyse—not merely sell or persuade.

Use standard referencing and do not plagiarise. Use plain clear language. Avoid jargon, or language that is excessively informal, colourful, or polemical. Do not make unsupported claims [especially large ones]. Cite evidence and argument along with any claims—even if you have to provide supporting footnotes and referencing (which you may exclude from your word count).

Unemployment is one of capitalisms peculiar features. It’s also one of its greatest and most costly failures. Some say it’s the necessary price of economic dynamism—but is that true? Explain the social impact and cost of unemployment and distinguish the various types. Are all ‘excusable’ as the price of progress, or are some wasteful and unnecessary? Which is which?
Inflation is a concern in most countries as we struggle to emerge from the pandemic. What are the key causes of this, what is the typical central bank response, and what are the downsides of that policy response?
Almost everywhere mass education systems are government-provided (despite that there is also private education alongside it). This is a prime example of market failure. Explain why. In terms of types of market failure and types of goods, which category does this fall into? Why is it important for government to provide education?
The EU has enacted a new package of laws for the digital technology sector (called the DMA). This is due to concerns about the social impact of these companies’ behaviour. What kind of market failure is this dealing with, and how would you describe the market structure of this sector? Also explain the concept of a gatekeeper within these laws and why the EU has made such special provision for their behaviour.
Is there a problem with economic growth and its social impact? What is the problem and what might we replace it with? Give your reasons for your views and support assertions with arguments and evidence. Can capitalism survive the end of growth?
Is it possible to justify the rise in inequality in the last several decades using standard arguments (that rewards are proportional to value-creation and ‘marginal productivity’). Or is it more convincing to see this as a distortion caused by market- (and social-institutional power)?