Learning Team Assignment: Comparative and Absolute Advantage

Purpose of Assignment

This assignment will help students master research and other analytical skills and will help students recognize

reasons why economic growth varies by country. By using macroeconomic indicators, students will complete

analysis and determine comparative and absolute advantage in different product categories for each country's

economy.

Resources Required

Tutorial help on Excel and Word functions can be found on the Microsoft Office website. There are also

additional tutorials via the web offering support for Office products. Grading Guide

Content

Chose three countries from list below.

Researched each country, using resources

such as the CIA World Fact Book, World Bank

data, World Trade Organization (WTO), and

the Federal Reserve Bank. Researched each

country's economic, political, and cultural

development: USA Australia Canada China Saudi Arabia Democratic Republic of Congo France Germany Great Britain Italy Japan

Analyzed measures of economic growth and

of comparative and absolute advantage in

international trade.

Used tables and/or graphs to compare the

following economic statistics/indicators of

three chosen countries for the most recent

year available and for 2009 (the trough of the

last economic cycle): Country Real GDP Country CPI Met Partially

Met Not

Met Comments: Content Met Partially

Met Not

Met Total

Available Total

Earned 6 #/6 Country Real Exports

Country Real Imports

Country Unemployment Rate

Country Industrial Production Discussed reasons why the economic growth

of the three countries varies. Answered the

following question: How does international trade influence

the strength of the economy worldwide? Discussed the following for each country:

(USA, CHINA, FRANCE) minimum 300

words At least two products that have provided

the country an absolute advantage in

trade (if any).

At least two products that have provided

the country a comparative advantage in

trade.

Factors that might have prevented any of

three chosen countries from achieving

absolute and/or comparative advantages. Cited a minimum of three peer-reviewed

sources.

The analysis is a minimum of 1,

length.