Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Kent State University/Political Economy (Fall)

Few relationships are as important and complicated as the connection between politics and economics. Students, in particular, know this each time they write a check to the university. State legislatures’ priorities affect the cost of university. The federal governments’ priorities affect the type and level of financial aid students receive. Politics also affects whether there is a job for you when you graduate, the type of job and whether the job offers benefits and overtime. Nearly every area of your life – health, education, employment, transportation – is shaped by the intersection of economics and politics. The objective of this class is to learn how politics and economics intersect to influence our lives. The course is structured around empirical, theoretical and normative questions.

By empirical, I mean that we look at the what: as in, what is the relationship between politics and economics? How does government or what might be called “the state” shape the behavior of individuals and firms? For example, if we privatize prisons and public schools, does it change how we incarcerate and educate? Empiricism also means asking how we measure a successful economy or a successful policy? Is Gross Domestic Product the right measure? What about employment or inequality? Should stress or mental health be included in the calculation?

We also explore why things are the way they are by studying the major competing theories in political economy including: classical and neo-classical political economy; Marxism, institutional economics, and Keynesianism. Theories matter. They provide a frame through which to understand causes and solutions. If you think some empirical measures like unemployment or inequality are a problem, theories provide the tools and prescriptions to solve those problems. We study the theories on their own terms, consider the historic context in which the theories developed, and the theories relevance today.

Finally, normative questions are also key to understanding the intersection of politics and economics. By normative means debating what should be the relationship between the politics and economics. Is government best which governs least? Should public policies resemble markets as much as possible? If there is a role for regulation what should be the criteria for regulating a firm or individual? These are questions that will come up again and again in the class.

Week 1
Aug 29

https://wetheeconomy.com/films/cave-o-nomics/?autoplay=yes

Wikipedia Assignment


 * What is political economy?
 * Why should we care about political economy?

 

Aug 31

Economic processes and problems

What to read before class: Stilwell 1 &amp; 2

https://wetheeconomy.com/films/city-on-the-rise/?autoplay=no


 * How does Stilwell define political economy?

Welcome to your Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course. Be sure to check with your instructor to see if there are other pages you should be following as well.

This page breaks down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of steps, or milestones. These steps include online trainings to help you get started on Wikipedia.

Your course has also been assigned a Wikipedia Content Expert. Check your Talk page for notes from them. You can also reach them through the &quot;Get Help&quot; button on this page.

To get started, please review the following handouts:


 * Editing Wikipedia pages 1–5
 * Evaluating Wikipedia

Week 2
Sept 5

Structural changes and challenges

What to read before class: Stilwell 3 &amp; 4

https://wetheeconomy.com/films/gdp-smackdown/?autoplay=yes

Sept 8

Features of capitalism

What to read before class: Stilwell 6 &amp; 7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B43YEW2FvDs&amp;index=3&amp;list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPNZwz5_o_5uirJ8gQXnhEO

**Wikipedia: complete online trainings (Wikipedia Essentials and Editing Basics) by Friday, September 8th**


 * Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (To avoid hitting Wikipedia's account creation limits, this is best done outside of class. Only 6 new accounts may be created per day from the same IP address.)
 * It's time to dive into Wikipedia. Below, you'll find the first set of online trainings you'll need to take. New modules will appear on this timeline as you get to new milestones. Be sure to check back and complete them! Incomplete trainings will be reflected in your grade.
 * When you finish the trainings, practice by introducing yourself to a classmate on that classmate’s Talk page.

It's time to think critically about Wikipedia articles. You'll evaluate a Wikipedia article related to the course and leave suggestions for improving it on the article's Talk page.


 * Complete the &quot;Evaluating Articles and Sources&quot; training (linked below).
 * Create a section in your sandbox titled &quot;Article evaluation&quot; where you'll leave notes about your observations and learnings.
 * Choose an article on Wikipedia related to your course to read and evaluate. As you read, consider the following questions (but don't feel limited to these):
 * Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
 * Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
 * Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
 * Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
 * Check out the Talk page of the article. What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
 * Optional: Choose at least 1 question relevant to the article you're evaluating and leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — ~.

Week 3
Sept 12

Classical Economics – the basics

What to read before class: Stilwell 8 &amp; 9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI9TLDIPVcs&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPNZwz5_o_5uirJ8gQXnhEO&index=2

Sept 14

Critiques of capitalism 

What to read before class:  Stilwell 12 &amp; 13

https://wetheeconomy.com/films/the-value-of-work/?autoplay=yes

Familiarize yourself with editing Wikipedia by adding a citation to an article. There are two ways you can do this:


 * Add 1-2 sentences to a course-related article, and cite that statement to a reliable source, as you learned in the online training.
 * The Citation Hunt tool shows unreferenced statements from articles. First, evaluate whether the statement in question is true! An uncited statement could just be lacking a reference or it could be inaccurate or misleading. Reliable sources on the subject will help you choose whether to add it or correct the statement.

Week 4
Sept 19

Quiz 1: Models of Political Economy

Sept 21

Groups meeting on Wikipedia assignment - Make sure you read the &quot;Best Practices for working in groups&quot; below.


 * Each group needs to meet with me by September 23rd.  I'll pass around a sign up sheet.**


 * Make sure everyone in the group is assigned to the same Wikipedia article on the Students tab of this course page.
 * Select one group member whose Sandbox space you'll all share to draft your article. Each person should link to that shared Sandbox from their own Sandbox page. A sandbox is like any other page on Wikipedia, and anyone can edit it.
 * Wikipedia doesn't allow multiple people to edit from different devices at the same time. If you're working together in person, one person should add the work to the Sandbox. If you are all working independently, make small edits and save often to avoid &quot;editing conflicts&quot; with classmates. Make sure that you're logged in under your own Wikipedia account while editing in your classmate's sandbox to ensure your edits are recorded.
 * Don't create a group account for your project. Group accounts are prohibited.

It's time to choose an article and assign it to yourself.


 * Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook.
 * Find an article from the list of &quot;Available Articles&quot; on the Articles tab on this course page. When you find the one you want to work on, click Select to assign it to yourself.
 * In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article.
 * Think back to when you did an article critique. What can you add? Post some of your ideas to the article's talk page.
 * Compile a list of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources. Post that bibliography to the talk page of the article you'll be working on, and in your sandbox. Make sure to check in on the Talk page to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.

Week 5
Sept 26

Market ideology  - Neoclassical economics

What to read before class: Stilwell 18 &amp; 19

Sept 28

Market ideology – Firms

What to read before class: Stilwell 20 &amp; 21

Week 6
Oct. 3

Wikipedia article. We will spend the period working on the Wikipedia article. You’ll an opportunity to get one-on-one help from me. You’ll be able to work with your partner on the project. You should arrive to class with draft.

 

Oct. 5

Market failures

What to read before class: Stillwell 22 &amp; 23

**Draft of sandbox article is due Oct. 6th**

You've picked a topic and found your sources. Now it's time to start writing.

Creating a new article?


 * Write an outline of that topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia article's &quot;lead section.&quot; Write it in your sandbox.
 * A &quot;lead&quot; section is not a traditional introduction. It should summarize, very briefly, what the rest of the article will say in detail. The first paragraph should include important, broad facts about the subject. A good example is Ada Lovelace. See Editing Wikipedia page 9 for more ideas.

Improving an existing article?


 * Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Think back to the skills you learned while critiquing an article. Make notes for improvement in your sandbox.

-

Keep reading your sources, too, as you prepare to write the body of the article.

Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9


 * Keep working on transforming your article into a complete first draft. Get draft ready for peer-review.
 * If you'd like a Content Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the &quot;Get Help&quot; button in your sandbox to request notes.

Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.

Week 7
Oct 10

What to read: Gabriel A. Almond (1991). Capitalism and Democracy. PS: Political Science &amp; Politics, 24, pp 467-474.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/magazine/how-homeownership-became-the-engine-of-american-inequality.html?_r=0

 

Oct 12

Institutional economics

What to read before class: Stilwell 24 &amp;  25

'''**Peer review of sandbox article is due October 13th. Post peer review in the Sandbox Talk Page.**'''


 * First, take the &quot;Peer Review&quot; online training.
 * Peer review your classmates' drafts. Leave suggestions on on the Talk page of the article, or sandbox, that your fellow student is working on. Other editors may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians.
 * As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic?

Week 8
Oct 17

Economic power and corporations

Readings:  Stilwell 26 &amp; 28

 

Oct 19

Quiz 2: Markets and Institutions

Week 9
Oct 24

Money and Fiscal Policy  

Read before class:: Stilwell 29 &amp; 30

https://wetheeconomy.com/films/that-film-about-money/

https://wetheeconomy.com/films/that-second-film-about-money/

'''

'''Oct 26

Monetary Policy 

Read before class: Stilwell 31 &amp; 32

 

**Wikipedia article must be published by Friday, October 27th **

Once you've made improvements to your article based on peer review feedback, it's time to move your work to Wikipedia proper - the &quot;mainspace.&quot;

Editing an existing article?


 * NEVER copy and paste your draft of an article over the entire article. Instead, edit small sections at a time.
 * Copy your edits into the article. Make many small edits, saving each time, and leaving an edit summary. Never replace more than one to two sentences without saving!
 * Be sure to copy text from your sandbox while the sandbox page is in 'Edit' or 'Edit source' mode. This ensures that the formatting is transferred correctly.

Creating a new article?


 * Read Editing Wikipedia page 13, and follow those steps to move your article from your Sandbox to Mainspace.
 * You can also review the Sandboxes and Mainspace online training.

Week 10
Oct 31

Monetary Policy 

Read before class: Stilwell 31 &amp; 32

Nov 1

Federal Reserve:

Read before class: Davidson, Adam. 2015. “You’re not supposed to understand the Federal Reserve” New York Times Magazine (October 25th).

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/25/magazine/youre-not-supposed-to-understand-the-federal-reserve.html


 * Peer review two classmates articles. Leave suggestions on on the Talk page of the article, or sandbox, that your fellow student is working on. Other editors may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians.


 * As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic?

Week 11
Nov 7

Budget process

Before class read the following articles:

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/federal-budget-process/

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/revenues/

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/spending/

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/borrowing-and-federal-debt/

 

Nov. 9

Quiz 3: Political Economy Tools

'''**Peer Review of Wikipedia article. Post review in the Wikipedia article’s Talk Page. Due by November 9th**'''

It's the final week to develop your article.


 * Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
 * Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Content Expert at any time!

Week 12
Nov 16

Read before class: Gosling, J. J., &amp; Eisner, M. A. (2013). “The Great Recession” Economics, politics, and American public policy. Armonk, N.Y.: Sharpe.

Nov. 18

Read before class: Krugman, Paul, 2009. “How did Economists Get it So Wrong?” New York Times Sunday Magazine, September 9.

Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.

Week 13
Nov 28 &amp; Nov 30 Wikipedia Presentations

Each group will present about their topic and Wikipedia experience.

Consider the following questions as you reflect on your Wikipedia assignment


 * Critiquing articles: What did you learn about Wikipedia during the article evaluation? How did you approach critiquing the article you selected for this assignment? How did you decide what to add to your chosen article?
 * Summarizing your contributions: include a summary of your article and edits and why you felt they were a valuable addition. How does your article compare to earlier versions?
 * Peer Review: If your class did peer review, include information about the peer review process. What did you contribute in your review of your peers article? What did your peers recommend you change on your article?
 * Feedback: Did you receive feedback from other Wikipedia editors, and if so, how did you respond to and handle that feedback?
 * Wikipedia generally: What did you learn from contributing to Wikipedia? How does a Wikipedia assignment compare to other assignments you've done in the past? How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of our field/your topic? Why is this important?

Week 14
Dec 5 &amp; Dec 7

Wikipedia Presentations

Write a reflective essay (2–5 pages) on your Wikipedia contributions.

Consider the following questions as you reflect on your Wikipedia assignment:


 * Critiquing articles: What did you learn about Wikipedia during the article evaluation? How did you approach critiquing the article you selected for this assignment? How did you decide what to add to your chosen article?
 * Summarizing your contributions: include a summary of your edits and why you felt they were a valuable addition to the article. How does your article compare to earlier versions?
 * Peer Review: If your class did peer review, include information about the peer review process. What did you contribute in your review of your peers article? What did your peers recommend you change on your article?
 * Feedback: Did you receive feedback from other Wikipedia editors, and if so, how did you respond to and handle that feedback?
 * Wikipedia generally: What did you learn from contributing to Wikipedia? How does a Wikipedia assignment compare to other assignments you've done in the past? How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of our field/your topic? Why is this important?