Eric asked: Next fall I'll be teaching an introductory course on a variety of different economic topics. The focus will be on the U.S. The course will focus on issues, not on the use/misuse of economic theory of any particular brand. The main problem with such a course is finding good readings. Mansfield's Leading Economic Controversies seems to be the best of the middle-of-the-road approach (here's what a so-called liberal says; here's what a conservative says). Of course, this approach has its weaknesses. What readings for a class mostly of first year college students would people recommend on topics like: the "bankruptcy" of social security, immigration, income distribution/standard of living changes, size of goverment and growth/efficiency, healthcare, debt/deficit, and so on. ______________________ Another "issues" book that is better than Mansfield is Robert Carson, Economic Issues Today. It also comes in "splits" focusing just on micro issues or macro issues. It is the same right-middle-left approach, but he doesn't tend to turn the left approach into a characature. There was another book, called "Taking Sides: (with some subtitle)." I can't remember the author, and I can't find my copy at the moment. It is also much more symbathetic to the left view. Doug Orr [EMAIL PROTECTED]
