[PEN-L:6728] Economics Course

["Eric Nilsson" <enilsson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Next fall I'll be teaching an introductory course on a variety
of different economic topics. The focus will be on the U.S.
The course will focus on issues, not on the use/misuse of
economic theory of any particular brand.

The main problem with such a course is finding good readings.
Mansfield's Leading Economic Controversies seems to be
the best of the middle-of-the-road approach (here's what a
so-called liberal says; here's what a conservative says). Of
course, this approach has its weaknesses.

What readings for a class mostly of first year college
students would people recommend on topics like:
the "bankruptcy" of social security, immigration, income
distribution/standard of living changes, size of goverment
and growth/efficiency, healthcare, debt/deficit, and so on.

Does EPI or similar organization put out a reader. I haven't
used URPE material ("XXX in the real world") in recent years;
does such stuff still exist, is it any good, is it appropriate for
a non-principles course, it it up-to-date?

Thanks for any leads.

Eric
..
Eric Nilsson
Department of Economics
California State University
San Bernardino, CA 92407
enilsson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx