Word length: 750-1,000 words

This exercise is designed to familiarise you with some of the key economic concepts in the course. The task is to take one of the key concepts from the beginning of the course and relate it to the interests of social policy and research. You will need to explain what the concept is and how the reading develops it. You then need to link this concept to a current policy or social research concern. You are not expected to go into depth. Rather the exercise is designed to demonstrate your understanding and ability to apply concepts. Briefly explaining the key aspects of the concept and one potential implication is all that is required. The key concepts and readings are available in iLearn.

Word limit: 1,200

For this exercise you will be required to do an analysis of the Commonwealth Budget. You should look to the readings in Weeks 5 and 8 in particular to assist you.

A detailed brief template is included in the resources under the Assessment tab in iLearn.

The exercise is in two parts. The first involves a short brief (400 words) that is designed to give the reader a quick overview of the main changes in the budget and a quick assessment of likely impacts. This section would cover the material in the 'Key Points', 'Summary', and 'Key Changes' sections of the template. You can use different headings and dot points if you think it will convey the information more clearly, but this part should be kept to 1 A4 page. It can also reference material in the longer second section (see below). The analysis should be largely factual and objective in tone, similar to a report.

The second section (800 words) reflects the material under the 'Discussion' heading in the template, and should provide more detail on the main changes. As a general guide you should be looking to cover 4-6 areas in the budget (a change being a particular spending initiative, change in tax rates or change in rules governing a program). Then give a brief discussion of what the likely effects of the changes are in terms of both over fiscal policy (is it net expansionary or contractionary), and in terms of the distribution of resources (who wins and who loses). It should end with an overall assessment on the budget. This may involve drawing conclusions about overall effects and impacts.

Word length: 2,500

In this assignment you will explore the application of market economics to social and environmental policy making. You will need to select a case study where policy has changed (or is proposed to change) to provide a greater role for market forces in the production or allocation of resources. This should ideally be related to the topic of your last assignment.

Your analysis will need to outline the policy changes and the rationale for the change. You should then explore the effects (or predicted effects) of the policy change and address arguments both in favour and against the policy change. You should conclude by suggesting ways forward, has the policy been effective and what might make it more effective?

As part of your involvement in the course you are expected to actively participate in seminars. This involves reading and thinking about the required readings each week. It also involves making some contribution to discussion. You will be assessed on the basis of your contributions in terms of both your understanding of the issues and your effort to engage with the subject matter. This is not a measure of how much you contribute, but of the quality of your contributions.

It is also important that everyone contributes in a way that promotes reasoned discussion and includes all. If you find it easy to contribute, be careful not to dominate debate. If you find it difficult, make an effort to get involved, or discuss the issue with your tutor so they can help you participate fully. Debating and discussing ideas is an important part of academic life and sociological inquiry.