23: An Approach to Issues-oriented Economic Education

What are the economic benefits and costs of dropping out of school? Is there really a trade deficit, and if so, what difference does it make? Are there salary differences between men and women, and if so, why? Should there be? What about salary and employment patterns by gender and ethnicity? What are the causes, and what should “we” do about these patterns? Should farmers around the world be “forced” to operate strictly by the rules of supply and demand? Is every person entitled to health care, and if so, who should pay? Should the minimum wage be raised? What economic and social effects would follow? Who should pay for environmental and safety protection? How should community-owned land be used, by whom, and for what purposes?