ECO6201E Business Economics Individual Project 2026 | INTI

ECO6201E Individual Project

This assessment contributes 40% of the total coursework mark.

Please adhere to the following instructions:

Requirement

1. This assignment requires students’ integrity and personal effort; plagiarism would not be tolerated. Plagiarism content must be ideally below 20%. You can view plagiarism content in the Turnitin report under Canvas. You can submit to Turnitin a maximum of three times to check for plagiarism content. Remember to attach your Turnitin report together with the individual project upon submission.

2. Do submit your assignment in Canvas under the heading ‘Submit Individual Project (40%)’ before the deadline. You are allowed to submit a maximum of three times. However, only the final submission will be taken for marking. You can follow the rubrics (which can be viewed in Canvas) as guidance for this assignment.

3. The total word count for all four questions should be between 3,000 and 3,500 words.

4. The due date is 21 July 2026 (Tuesday) at 11:59 p.m. (Malaysian time).

5. Please format your document in Microsoft Word with the following settings: Font: Times New Roman, Font Size: 12, Alignment: Justified, Line Spacing: 1.5.

6. Creativeness in reporting e.g. comparisons, table form, graphical evidence, statistical analysis, and etc. carries weight.

7. When ideas and findings of others are presented, an appropriate academic style of citation should be adopted. Use Harvard Referencing in preparing these references.

8. The project assignment will initially be assessed out of 100% and then adjusted to account for 40% of the overall grade.

9. Students can create a simple cover page which includes name, identification number, course code & section, session and program. Students can also include table of contents, but it is NOT counted in the word count.

10. Please adhere to all INTI/UH academic rules.

Project Description

Individual Project: Inflation-Unemployment Trade-Off and Policy Effectiveness in Two Countries

Overview

Inflation and unemployment remain central challenges in macroeconomic management, often analysed through the Phillips Curve framework. While early models suggested a stable trade-off, modern macroeconomics highlights the role of expectations, structural changes, and policy credibility in shaping this relationship.

In this project, you are required to select:

• One developed economy (e.g., the United States)
• One developing or emerging economy (e.g., Malaysia)

Using a minimum of 20 years of annual data, analyse:

• Inflation rate
• Unemployment rate

You are expected to apply both theoretical and empirical reasoning, supported by data, graphs, and relevant economic literature.

Question 1 

Using the 20-year dataset, construct the Phillips Curve for each country. Critically evaluate whether an inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment exists. Explain the pattern of the curve and provide economic reasons for its behavior.

(25 marks)

Question 2

Discuss how the two countries have responded to major macroeconomic shocks affecting inflation and unemployment. Focus on the fiscal and monetary tools used, and critically compare the effectiveness of each country’s policy strategies.

(25 marks)

Question 3

Assume you are an economic advisor in the developing country you’ve chosen. Which macroeconomic challenge should be prioritized, controlling inflation or reducing unemployment? Justify your choice using economic reasoning and recent data.

(25 marks)

Question 4

Critically evaluate how geopolitical conflicts, such as the US–Iran war, affect inflation and unemployment dynamics in emerging economies. In your answer, analyse the role of oil price shocks, aggregate supply disruptions, and implications for the Phillips Curve.

(25 marks)