This week should be a continuation of week 1. Now that you have selected a country and know basic socio-demographic and socio-economic information about it, during week 2, you need to relate it to this week’s material.  In particular, we will use the United States – the world’s largest economy – as the comparative.  You compare your country to the United States on each of the economic variables listed below.

GDP and GDP Per Capita:  compare these values for your country with those for the United States, keep the year used as close as possible (the same year is preferred, if available), be specific about the currency in which the numbers are expressed – you should be able to obtain all values in US Dollars.  If the values are in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), do note that – most likely they will be in PPP.
Using the data you collected for question 1, compare the standard of living of your country to that of the United States (remember that by definition, GDP Per Capita is the universal measure of standard of living, but you may also include other variables if you wish).
What is the most recent inflation rate and does it compare to the inflation rate for the same year in the United States?
What is the most recent rate of growth of the country and how does it compare to the economic growth rate for the same year in the United States?
What explains the recent economic growth, or lack of growth in your country?
Each week your submission must be in a Word document in report format, not in a Q&A format. So remember to use paragraphs and a report structure to your assignment.

Expectations for the research assignments:

1) Respond to all week’s topics and sub-topics;

2) Cite (APA style) all the information presented, not just direct quotes; 

3) Reference (APA) style) the sources at the end;

4) Use proper paragraphing; and,

5) Present the information in a clear and professional fashion.

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Your research paper this week should be between 250 and 350 words. Shorter submissions will be penalized. Longer assignments are acceptable only if the extra words add substance to your report. At the bottom of your assignment, you should include a word count (how many words are in your post).
Structure your paper as a report in a Word document. Do use multiple paragraphs.
You must cite all the information used in your report and include the sources in your reference listing. Use APA format for citations and references – see the APA Powerpoint linked below.
Remember: you should not “copy and paste” information. Plagiarism is penalized with a zero in the assignment the first time, and a zero in the course the second time. Use your own words and quote only facts or numbers)
Remember to include citations to your sources in the body of your post and to provide the references at the end of your post. Where possible, please make the links to any web information clickable links. Remember the references and links must be to the article you used, not just to the web site. Be sure to include the full URL, otherwise your link will not be clickable.
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In addition to the links below, do use the web for additional useful information. Remember that each country will have multiple web sites that provide country specific information.

Wikipedia
CIA World Factbook
World Bank
If you have any questions or concerns, email me.
Your submission this week must be at least 250 words long, in order to receive full credit.