Positive statements tend to simply describe what is, whereas normative statements often seek to prescribe what should be. Sometimes the distinction between positive and normative statements is not crystal clear.

Often things we see in the news and current events can be related to economics. A course in Economics is well complemented by staying informed about local and global news and events and applying the concepts being studied to such situations.

Find two news articles that have some relationship to economic analysis and concepts. Try to find one article that is predominantly making positive statements and one that involves some normative statements. Describe your news stories, comparing and contrasting the approaches that made you designate one as mostly positive and the other at least partly normative.

Do you think Economists should avoid making normative statements? Why or why not? When do you think it could be difficult to completely avoid making normative statements?

Cite any articles