The French Fry Paper Assignment
You’re going to write a paper for this class about potatoes and French Fries. The paper should be about 1500 words, about 4-5 pages typed and double spaced in Times-New-Roman 12 point font. It should be professionally prepared, that is, word-processed with all identifying information included at the top of the first page (your name, name of the class, date, etc.), spell checked, edited, etc. Details about how to submit the paper will be coming closer to the due date.
Now, about the paper. You may use any style you choose when citing sources.
During the last week of June, 2013, I collected 8 Bell Jars of French fries.
Four came from fast food places (McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken). Four were cooked at homes of friends. Two of the homemade fries were made with fresh potatoes, vegetable oil and salt. One used sweet potatoes, and one used Ore Ida Frozen Fries.
You can visit them at any time. They live in my office.
Organize your paper around answering the following questions. Mix it up any way you want, in the way it makes most sense to you. Make sure you do an intro and a conclusion, too. Do NOT provide a numbered list of answers to the questions. Fold it into a coherent, interesting paper.
1. Describe the market for potatoes. Is the market a monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition or perfect competition? Defend your answer with sources. Use the text and make sure you cover all the market characteristics (e.g., number of firms, interdependence, level of advertising, etc.)
2. How open is the market? How much do we export and import? Do Americans eat many imported potatoes?
3. How are potatoes consumed in the US – what form? Defend your answer with sources.
4. How regulated is the market for potatoes? Defend your answer with sources.
5. How much of the potato crop is turned into French fries? Defend your answer with sources.
6. Go watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uHxRwQqWFoand describe in a paragraph the point the creators are trying to make.
7. Now go and Google “French fries don’t decompose”. What’s the other side of the argument?
8. What do you expect to happen to the French fries in my office over time? Why?
9. Should the French fry (and fast food market in general) market be more regulated? Why?
10. What are the costs and benefits to the producer of more regulation? How about to the consumer?
