Reference no: EM131256640

Economics Assignment

PART I

1. Assume you are hired by the The United Nations Children's Fund as a development economist. Your assignment is to travel to Sudan (a resource-rich, agricultural, and poverty-stricken country) to write a report about the extent of poverty and propose policies that can help reduce poverty. Your assignment is two fold: (a) to analyze the economic and social reasons why some people of this rich country are poor; and (b) to develop a set of policy measures that could help reduce poverty and improve income distribution.

2. Assume the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has hired you as a development economist. Your assignment is to travel to Jamaica, where people living in rural areas rush to migrate to the capital city of Kingston. Write a report on causes of rural-urban migration and propose policies that can help reduce such a massive movement of population. Your assignment is twofold: (a) to analyze the economic and social reasons why rural people of this country are leaving their hometowns and villages; and (b) to develop a set of policy measures that could help reduce rural-urban migration.

Important Instructions FOR two questions:

Write a detailed essay of about 500 words to answer each question based on textbook reading. Write the beginning and ending page numbers of the textbook at the outset of your answer.

PART II

1. Is rapid population growth a "cause" or an "effect" of poverty? Explain. Why do some developing countries have not been able to reduce rapid population growth and poverty? Give examples. What policies would you recommend to reduce population growth?

2. Describe and depict the theory of the demographic transition. At what stage in this transition do most developing countries seem to be? Explain your answer and give examples.

3. Present the Lewis model of structural transformation from rural-agricultural to urban-industrial production. Explain, illustrate, and criticize the validity of the model.

4. Present the Malthusian Trap theory of population growth. Discuss why the human society has been able to avoid the trap. Find a developing country that has fallen into this trap, and a developing country that has avoided falling into this trap.

Important Instructions

For each question, write a detailed essay of about 300 words to answer each question based on textbook reading. Write the beginning and ending page numbers of the textbook at the outset of your answer.