Dear AP Economics Class of 2015-2016,
I am delighted to hear you will be studying economics in the 2015-2016 school year. If ethics is the
study of what humans should do in life, wrote one author, economics looks at what we actually do in
life. In this sense, economics is less about money and more about the kinds of decisions we make every
day.
As I hope you know, we will be studying microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics
explores the decisions companies and individuals make as they produce and consume goods and
services. Macroeconomics explores the collective behavior of all these companies on the scale of
countries and the world. So, we will look at everything from why you might purchase a cup of coffee at
Starbucks to how the nations of the world confront poverty. Along the way, you will learn enough
economics to be well-prepared to take both the AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics exams;
please note that this is a required part of the course.
One of the most pressing issues in the world today is the question of income inequality. In many major
countries (including the United States), wealth is becoming more and more concentrated in fewer and
fewer hands. Economics looks at the facts behind this development and tries to determine what the
consequences might be. At the same time, we care about such issues as human beings. To sharpen our
focus on the subject, I ask each of you this summer to read “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich.
Ms. Ehrenreich decided to learn more about the working poor by spending the better part of a year
taking on jobs as a house cleaner and a waitress. The book is well-crafted and relatively short (about
220 pages). You can buy the book inexpensively at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-DimedNot-Getting-America/dp/0312626681/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431094497&sr=11&keywords=nickel+and+dimed .
In our first class during Opening Week (this will most likely be on Friday, September 4), I will collect from
you a three page response to the question, What did you learn from the book about the challenges of
the working poor? Here is a good hint: the author provides some of her impressions in the final chapter
of the book. Your response paper does not need a thesis and can be written as a series of observations.
I do ask that you illuminate your response with details from the book. You will of course review and edit
your response so it reads well and reflects your intelligence. To be clear: you need to turn in a typed,
printed-out paper in class. There are no extensions for this assignment and, yes, it will be graded.
We have a very fine textbook for the course that covers all the essential ideas. I will periodically provide
you with other readings so you can see how economics intersects with much of the world.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. And if you get exciting ideas
during the summer, feel free to e-mail me: jball@emmawillard.org .
All the best,
John Ball