Issues in economics today / Robert C. Guell

Chapter 1: Economics: The Study of Opportunity Cost 1A Graphing: Yes, You Can --
Chapter 2: Supply and Demand --
Chapter 3: The Concept of Elasticity and Consumer and Producer Surplus --
Chapter 4: Firm Production, Cost, and Revenue --
Chapter 5: Perfect Competition, Monopoly, and Economic versus Normal Profit --
Chapter 6: Every Macroeconomic Word You Ever Heard: Gross Domestic Product, Inflation, Unemployment, Recession, and Depression --
Chapter 7: Interest Rates and Present Value --
Chapter 8: Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply --
Chapter 9: Federal Spending --
Chapter 10: Federal Deficits, Surpluses, and the National Debt --
Chapter 11: Fiscal Policy --
Chapter 12: Monetary Policy --
Chapter 13: International Trade: Does It Jeopardize American Jobs? --
Chapter 14: The International Monetary Fund: Doctor or Witch Doctor? --
Chapter 15: NAFTA, GATT, WTO: Are Trade Agreements Good for Us? --
Chapter 16: Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs, and Prostitution --
Chapter 17: The Environment --
Chapter 18: Health Care --
Chapter 19: Government Provided Health Insurance: Medicaid, Medicare, and the Child Health Insurance Program --
Chapter 20: The Economics of Prescription Drugs --
Chapter 21: Economics and the Law --
Chapter 22: The Economics of Crime --
Chapter 23: Race, Gender, and Affirmative Action --
Chapter 24: Farm Policy --
Chapter 25: Minimum Wage --
Chapter 26: Rent Control --
Chapter 27: Ticket Brokers and Ticket Scalping --
Chapter 28: Antitrust --
Chapter 29: Why Did This Textbook Cost so Much? --
Chapter 30: Education --
Chapter 31: Poverty and Welfare --
Chapter 32: Social Security --
Chapter 33: Head Start --
Chapter 34: Personal Income Taxes --
Chapter 35: Energy Prices --
Chapter 36: If We Build It, Will They Come? And Other Sports Questions --
Chapter 37: The Stock Market and Crashes --
Chapter 38: Unions --
Chapter 39: The Cost of War and Occupation --
Chapter 40: The Economics of Terrorism --
Chapter 41: Wal-Mart: Always Low Prices (and Low Wages)...Always --
Chapter 42: The Economic Impact of Casino Gambling --
Chapter 43: Economic Growth and Development --
Chapter 44: The Housing Bubble (Bonus Web Chapter)

Issues in Economics Today is a modern issues book that presents the latest and most interesting topics. Most importantly, this title was developed to allow instructors the maximum flexibility to teach this material in a manner that fits their personal style.

Some professors like to intertwine theory and issues while others like to lay the theoretical foundation first before heading into the issues. Faculty may choose to set a theme for their course and pick issues consistent with that theme while others may let their students decide what issues interest them. Beginning with eight core theory chapters and followed by 35 shorter issues chapters, there is no right way to use the book. As a result of this structure, instructors do not have to teach the same course every semester.

The Fourth Edition continues to stay on the cusp of recent events and topics, such as outsourcing, inflation targeting, the impact of trade agreements, the cost of adhering to the Kyoto protocols, induced demand in pharmaceuticals, myths surrounding affirmative action, the impact of gasoline prices on ethanol and corn demand, Apple?s troubles with the EU, textbook price inflation relative to tuition costs, poverty in the US vs. other developed countries, and a recasting of the War chapter to focus more heavily on occupation costs.