When answering your question (and answer only one question), its important to be complete. The best questions have an element of paradox to them so unless you solve the paradox you havent really answered the question. For example, one student once asked Why are there Phillips head and straight head screws? An excellent question. But the student answered by describing the history of the Phillips head. The cross shape prevented the screwdriver from slipping away from the screw. But this does not explain why we still have straight screws. The question remains only partially answered. Remember to double-space your paper. ANSWER TIPS FOR THE ECONOMIC NATURALIST PAPER Answers should be brief and to the point. Im not looking for essays and the five hundred word limit is important to follow. Its also good writing. Challenge yourself. Once you come up with an answer, question your own answer. Your first instinct might have major holes in it. Though your answer doesnt have to be the true reason it does have to stand on solid economic logic. Dont be afraid of research. I dont expect you to spend hours upon hours in the library answering your question, but you might have to do a little research into local laws or the nature of the industry to answer your question. Dont shun this option; it can be very fruitful. Stick to the economics. Remember, this is an economics class. Economics is a big discipline and can explain a large variety of human behavior. Just because its not about a business decision doesnt mean its not economics. But your answer should be root in economic thought. For example, a student once asked the question Why is red used to indicate stop in traffic lights? They answered the question with physics (how wavelength moves through air) and not economics (costs, benefits, incentives, etc.). No obvious answers. Noting the differences in prices is a common puzzle but dont rely on obvious explanations such as differences in quality or cost. Explaining Starbucks expensive plain coffee because Starbucks has high quality coffee beans is not a good answer to this question. If it is indeed the correct answer, then this isnt a good question because that means the question isnt really a puzzle. Other examples of obvious answers include because theres a law and because theres advertising. Avoid normative claims. Just as your question shouldnt be normative, your answer shouldnt be either. Stay away from judgment calls on if this puzzle is desirable or not. Proofread. A general piece of advice: Spellcheck. Grammarcheck. Reread your answer to remove common mistakes (form/from, its/its, to/too/two). Rework awkward sentences. Use few explanations. You have limited space; its far better to really nail down the logic for one or two explanations than sort of explain the puzzle four ways. Avoid the temptation to try lots of different ideas hoping something it correct. Youll end up not doing much at all. Review the rubric. I made the rubric for a reason; go over it to make sure youre fulfilling
