A Case Study: Leftist Versus Conservative Arguments on College Costs

Abstract

To indicate the way the approach outlined in chapter 8 plays out in my courses, I bring in the outline of opposing arguments on economic issues about two-thirds into the course. But it has been anticipated by reading and writing assignments back to the first weeks on pertinent topics and sources in current events, including the debates on rising college costs and student debt. The perspective on these topics and sources continues to widen and deepen throughout the term, in a series of short paper and notes assignments, which cumulate in a term paper. The oppositions between sources here on college costs neatly exemplify the lines summarized in the outline—especially Conservative #1, 3, 4, 5, 14, and Left #6, 7, 8, 9, 15.