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Student Congress on Economic Issues
2003 Results
The 2003 Economics Congress was held at the St. Paul Campus Student Center,
University of Minnesota on January 9.
Participating high schools:
Edison, North, Henry, Roosevelt, South, Southwest and Washburn.
2003 Results (winning team from each topic):
Topic One
Team Three: Washburn and North
Topic Two
Team Two: South and Washburn
Topic Three
Team Two: Southwest and Washburn
Topic One
What are the benefits and drawbacks of the capitalist economic system?
Let's say a country is deciding which economic system to adopt. Defend
your team's position by showing how the benefits of your system are greater
than the other teams' positions relative to each system's disadvantages.
TEAM ONE: A laissez-faire free market system with little government involvement.
The government is to limit its responsibilities to protecting property
rights. South/Henry
TEAM TWO: A market system in which government plays an active role in
regulating industries. Southwest/Roosevelt/Edison
TEAM THREE: A socialist system in which the government directly provides
basic needs for all people, including unemployment insurance, medical
care, and a guaranteed minimum income. The government owns or heavily
regulates many of the major industries—the “commanding heights”
industries. Washburn/North
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Topic Two
Representatives of Congress are debating a bill about reducing emissions
for vehicles. Each team represents a different opinion of a representative
in Congress.
TEAM ONE: Increase the standards on emissions. Tighter regulations provide
an incentive for producers to build cars and trucks that emit less pollutants.
North/Roosevelt/Edison
TEAM TWO: It's important to reduce emissions, but increasing standards
isn't the most efficient means to reduce air pollutants from vehicles.
Increase the gasoline tax. This provides an incentive to use all vehicles
more efficiently. South/Washburn
TEAM THREE: Keep emissions standards as they are. An increase in emissions
standards would hurt the profitability of the automobile industry, a vital
part of the U.S. economy. Eventually the market will produce efficient
solutions to vehicle emissions; however, the technology isn't available
yet. Southwest/Henry
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Topic Three
While the U.S. economy has had substantial growth over the past two decades,
the disparity of wealth between the poorest and the richest Americans
has grown. How should the government address the tension between policies
designed to spur economic growth and those that promote wealth equity?
Name examples of policies that your position supports.
TEAM ONE: Free market, strong economic growth position. The free market
system, which has been notably successful in providing a high standard
of living for millions of Americans, is the most promising way to achieve
higher wages over the next generation. The best way to increase everyone's
share is to make sure that the economic pie keeps growing as rapidly as
possible. Americans believe in rewarding effort, providing incentives
for new economic ventures, and letting people get rich when they work
at it. Government policy should reflect those values. North/South/Edison
TEAM TWO: Fair Share Position. The fact that income for most American
families stagnated until recently is due in large part from economic rules
that favor affluent Americans at the expense of everyone else. Those at
the top of the income scale are getting the lion's share of the benefits
of economic growth. But most members of the labor force are not sharing
in the gains. Sharp differences in income generate social unrest, which
can lead to uncertainty, declining investment and weak economic growth.
Government should enact a more progressive tax and social service system
to help reduce the disparity between the poorest and richest Americans.
Southwest/Washburn
TEAM THREE: Equal Opportunity Position. The promise of America is equal
opportunity. Government's task is to do everything possible to provide
an equal opportunity for economic advancement. The fact that income for
most Americans has not risen steadily in recent years is a result of our
failure as a nation to prepare people adequately so everyone has a chance
to compete for good jobs. What's needed is an expanded effort to improve
America's schools, to provide equal opportunity for all youngsters regardless
of their parents' occupation and income. Roosevelt/Henry
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