Should the Fed respond to the Coronavirus

Focus on the question: “Should the Fed respond to the Coronavirus?” We might not be able to fit it in this week, but it is something that we can potentially discuss when we get back from Spring Break. I’ll keep you posted this week.

Regardless of when we have this debate, if you would like to receive credit for this topic as one of your two required debate/Op-Ed grades (see the Grading section of the syllabus for a reminder), please do the following:

1. Write a 700-800 word Op-Ed taking a side on this issue. Please make sure it is double spaced, includes your name on the top-left corner, is properly cited using APA format (ideally you should have 3-5 references; they can include news articles, research papers, books, etc.), and draws from sound economic arguments. Completing this is the bare minimum requirement for receiving credit. Remember that in addition to printing out your Op-ed and turning it in at the end of class you MUST upload a copy of this to the in-class debate #2 assignment in Canvas in order to receive credit so that I can run it through the plagiarism scanner.

2. If you would like to enhance your grade (and potentially earn extra credit on the assignment), I would also like you to actively participate in the in-class discussion of this topic. I will try to set aside 10-15 minutes at the end of class to let any of you who might wish to speak give a summary of your opinion and respond to any objections and counter-arguments you would like to address. One of the goals of this in-class discussion is to foster a civil and respectful environment, so be sure to act appropriately and respect other’s opinions.

Here are some articles and videos on what certain prominent figures think the Fed should do in its response:

President Donald Trump: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/03/trump-fed-economy-coronavirus-119372 (Links to an external site.)

Senator Elizabeth Warren: https://abc13.com/politics/elizabeth-warren-addresses-coronavirus-at-houston-town-hall/5972608/ (Links to an external site.)

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/28/business/economy/federal-reserve-says-ready-to-act.html