The Federal Trade Commission, a government agency that protects consumers, has hired you to summarize the issue of rising U.S. consumer debt. Your task is to write a short report within the body of an email that the agency will send to other government constituencies.

The agency wants to highlight the importance of its work by showing the seriousness of the problem.

Working in groups of three or four, complete the following:

a. Independently research current data about consumer debt. Be sure to use credible sources, primarily government and academic research.

b. As a group, discuss your research and select the most relevant data for your purpose.

In your short report, you won’t be able to cover all data, so be selective and focus on three or four points.

c. Create an outline for your email report.

d. Draft the first paragraph, which will include the purpose and main points (your conclusions).

e. Draft the email and share your group’s version with the rest of the class.

f. Vote on which group’s email works best. What makes this email most effective?