A contemporary economic issue of special interest (internal)
Internal 4 credits Concepts Causes Impacts on groups Models ComparingAS 91228, 4 credits. Choose an issue that genuinely interests you: define the relevant concepts, explain the causes using economic models, and explain the impacts on various groups in NZ society — with Excellence requiring you to compare/contrast causes against each other AND impacts on groups against each other.
1 Reading the notation
Unlike 91225/91227, the concepts and models here are chosen BY YOU, based on the issue.📖 Terms the schedule grades you on
4 terms- Analyse (Achieved)
- Identify/define/describe concepts; explain causes via models; explain impacts on various groups.
- In depth (Merit)
- DETAILED causes; DETAILED impacts on groups.
- Comprehensively (Excellence)
- COMPARE/CONTRAST causes' impact on the issue; compare/contrast impacts on groups; INTEGRATE model changes.
- Concepts and models (notes 4-5)
- Both determined by the specific issue chosen — no fixed closed list, unlike 91225/91227.
2 Choosing an issue with real economic content
Real data, a genuine market mechanism, and enough disagreement to be worth analysing.What a good issue needs
- Real published data available.
- A genuine market, price, scarcity, or trade-off underneath it.
- A model that fits the issue's actual mechanism.
3 Explaining and comparing causes
Named model, shown shift, and — for Excellence — a ranked weighing of which cause mattered more. ✕Two causes described, neither weighed
Explaining two causes fully, each with its own diagram, is strong Merit-level work — but it stays at Merit if neither is weighed against the other. Excellence specifically needs a comparison: which had the bigger effect, and why.4 Impacts on groups, and comparing them
Name the specific group and mechanism, then argue who is hit hardest and why.Groups worth naming
- Consumers and producers directly in the market.
- Workers, if the issue affects employment.
- Government, via tax or spending effects.
- Future generations, for sustainability-linked issues.
Practice
Recall it first, then use it — testing yourself builds the memory, where rereading the notes above only feels easier.
Recall and application shuffled together — you have to work out what each item wants before you can answer it, which is the part the exam actually tests. Both kinds feed the same spacing schedule, so anything you miss comes back sooner.
Say the answer out loud before flipping — that attempt is where the learning happens, even when you get it wrong.
Exam-style only. Instant feedback, shuffled each attempt, best score saved on this device.