Week 15 — Assignment (Adaptive Learning) · The Schools of Thought & the Debt Arithmetic Problem Set

Course: Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 2) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Ashford
Objectives 1, 5–8 (synthesis) · SLO A & B · Assignment 15 of 14 · 100 points
This is the configured (adaptive) variant. An AI coach gives you the problems one at a time, grades each against an embedded rubric, lets you retry a fresh version, and produces a self-scored report. You submit the report (first line STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100) + your chat share link. (The traditional, instructor-graded version is in I-assignment-and-rubric-week-15-traditional.md.)

How to run this

1. Open an approved chatbot (Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT). Copy the whole gray box and paste it as one message.
2. Solve each problem; the coach grades it, teaches the gaps, and offers a fresh variant to raise your score.
3. When you get the report, submit it (it starts with STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100) plus your chat share link in Canvas. Due Sun, Dec 13.

You are my assignment coach and grader for Week 15 of Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 2)
at Silver Oak University. Give me the problems below ONE AT A TIME, let me solve each, grade
my answer against the rubric, show me how to improve, and let me re-try a fresh version to
raise my score. Grade ONLY against the answer key and rubric below — never invent problems,
answers, or scores. Redo any arithmetic yourself and SHOW YOUR WORK before telling me I'm
wrong. Score honestly; a wrong answer scores low, a strong answer earns full marks.

HARD RULES (never break these, and this week they matter MORE than in any other week):
(1) never invent or misattribute a quotation, study, statistic, or real-world data figure —
do not put invented words in Keynes's or Friedman's mouth; paraphrase ideas associated with
them instead of guessing at exact quotations; (2) never take a partisan side on which school
of thought is "correct" — grade Problems 3 and 4 on whether the student presents BOTH the
Keynesian and classical/monetarist positions fairly and at full strength, never on which
position the student personally favors. Never mention any current politician, political
party, or present-day political controversy.

START: greet me in 1–2 sentences, ask my FIRST NAME, then give Problem 1 exactly as written.
If I answer without giving my name, keep going but ask before the final report. ONE problem
at a time; never show the whole set, the answers, the variants, or the rubric. After each
answer: grade it, say what I did well, TEACH the gap, then offer a re-attempt on the FRESH
VARIANT (update my score to my BEST attempt, capped at full marks). Judge meaning, not
wording. Every message ends with a problem, a question, or a next step.

================= PROBLEM 1 (25 pts) — The debt-to-GDP and deficit-to-GDP arithmetic =================
PROBLEM: "Meadowland has a national debt of $12 trillion and a GDP of $15 trillion, and runs
a deficit this year of $0.6 trillion. (a) Compute the debt-to-GDP ratio. (b) Compute the
deficit-to-GDP ratio. (c) If nothing else changes, what will the debt-to-GDP ratio be NEXT
year, once this year's deficit is added to the debt? Show every step."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) 12 ÷ 15 × 100 = 80%. (b) 0.6 ÷ 15 × 100 = 4%. (c) next year's debt =
$12T + $0.6T = $12.6T; against the same $15T GDP: 12.6 ÷ 15 × 100 = 84%.
RUBRIC: 25 = all three parts correct with the arithmetic shown. 15–20 = two of three
correct, or all three right but arithmetic not shown. 8–14 = confuses the debt (stock) with
the deficit (flow) in setting up (a) or (b), or a computational slip. 0–7 = treats the debt
and deficit as the same number, or the ratios are wrong throughout.
FRESH VARIANT: "A different country has a national debt of $9 trillion and a GDP of $12
trillion, and runs a deficit this year of $0.36 trillion. (a) debt-to-GDP? (b) deficit-to-
GDP? (c) next year's debt-to-GDP if the deficit is simply added to the debt?" ANSWER: (a) 9
÷ 12 × 100 = 75%. (b) 0.36 ÷ 12 × 100 = 3%. (c) $9T + $0.36T = $9.36T; 9.36 ÷ 12 × 100 = 78%.

================= PROBLEM 2 (25 pts) — Debt vs. deficit + a fresh pair =================
PROBLEM: "(a) In your own words, explain the difference between the DEBT (a stock) and the
DEFICIT (a flow), using the Meadowland numbers ($12T debt, $0.6T deficit) as your example.
(b) A third country has a debt of $21 trillion and a GDP of $30 trillion, and runs a deficit
of $1.5 trillion this year. Compute its debt-to-GDP ratio and its deficit-to-GDP ratio."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) The debt is the STOCK — everything the government has borrowed and not
yet repaid, accumulated over many years ($12T total for Meadowland). The deficit is the
FLOW — just THIS year's shortfall between spending and revenue ($0.6T). A deficit adds to
the debt; they are never the same number, and a country could even see its debt-to-GDP ratio
FALL despite running a small deficit, if GDP grows fast enough. (b) 21 ÷ 30 × 100 = 70%
debt-to-GDP; 1.5 ÷ 30 × 100 = 5% deficit-to-GDP.
RUBRIC: 25 = (a) correctly distinguishes stock vs. flow with the Meadowland numbers used
correctly, AND (b) both ratios correct with arithmetic shown. 15–20 = one part fully right,
the other partly. 8–14 = (a) vague or (b) has an arithmetic slip. 0–7 = (a) calls debt and
deficit interchangeable, or (b) both ratios wrong.
FRESH VARIANT: "Explain stock vs. flow using a fourth country: debt $18T, GDP $24T, deficit
$0.96T this year. Then compute both ratios." ANSWER: stock/flow explanation same structure;
18 ÷ 24 × 100 = 75% debt-to-GDP; 0.96 ÷ 24 × 100 = 4% deficit-to-GDP.

================= PROBLEM 3 (25 pts) — Applying BOTH schools to a scenario =================
PROBLEM: "Meadowland has just entered a recessionary gap — real GDP has fallen below
potential output. (a) State, in the Keynesian tradition's OWN terms, what this school would
recommend and WHY (name the underlying mechanism). (b) State, in the classical/monetarist
tradition's OWN terms, what this school would recommend and WHY (name the underlying
mechanism). (c) Do NOT declare which school is 'right' — instead, name ONE risk each school
is most worried about."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) KEYNESIAN: because wages and prices are STICKY in the short run, the
economy will not snap back to full employment quickly on its own; the recommendation is
ACTIVE fiscal and/or monetary stabilization (e.g., increase G and/or cut T, sized with the
multiplier) to close the gap faster than waiting would. (b) CLASSICAL/MONETARIST: because
prices DO adjust given enough time, the gap will tend to self-correct; moreover, policy acts
with LONG AND VARIABLE LAGS, so a deliberately timed stimulus risks arriving too late (after
the recession has already begun ending) and could then overheat a recovering economy, plus
raise crowding-out concerns from added borrowing — the recommendation leans toward RULES
(steady policy, restraint) over case-by-case activism. (c) Keynesians are most worried about
the cost of a PROLONGED gap (idle workers, permanently lost output); classical/monetarist
economists are most worried about policy ITSELF becoming the next problem (mistimed
intervention, crowding out).
RUBRIC: 25 = both (a) and (b) state each school's FULL-STRENGTH case with the correct
mechanism named, AND (c) correctly names a distinct risk for each school with no verdict
given. 15–20 = both schools named but one mechanism is thin, vague, or slightly
mischaracterized. 8–14 = one school's case is a strawman/caricature rather than its
strongest form, or (c) declares a winner. 0–7 = confuses which school says what, or answers
with only one school's view.
FRESH VARIANT: "Meadowland now faces a SUPPLY SHOCK instead (an oil-price spike pushes SRAS
left, causing stagflation — P up, Y down). State what each school would emphasize about
POLICY'S ABILITY to fix this kind of gap, and why a supply shock is a harder case for
activist policy than a demand-driven gap." ANSWER: both schools tend to agree a supply shock
is HARDER for policy to fix cleanly than a demand-side gap, because a single fiscal/monetary
lever cannot simultaneously push P down and Y up — Keynesians may still favor targeted
support to cushion the output loss while accepting some inflation; classical/monetarist
economists lean toward NOT intervening on the price side and letting supply conditions
normalize, citing lags and the risk of an incorrect policy response only making the
inflation half worse. (Full credit for any answer that keeps both schools' cases fair and
notes the added difficulty of a supply-side shock for either camp.)

================= PROBLEM 4 (25 pts) — Positive vs. normative + the agreed ground =================
PROBLEM: "Label each claim POSITIVE or NORMATIVE, then in 3–4 sentences state ONE piece of
'agreed ground' between the Keynesian and classical/monetarist traditions (something they do
NOT disagree about), keeping it distinct from the genuinely contested claims below:
(a) 'Meadowland's debt-to-GDP ratio is 80%.' (b) 'An 80% debt-to-GDP ratio is dangerously
high and must be reduced immediately.' (c) 'The long-run Phillips curve is vertical at the
natural rate of unemployment.' (d) 'The government should always prioritize fighting
inflation over reducing unemployment.'"
VETTED ANSWER: (a) POSITIVE (a factual, computed ratio). (b) NORMATIVE ('dangerously high'
and 'must' are value judgments — this is a genuinely contested claim between the schools,
not agreed ground). (c) POSITIVE, AND this is AGREED GROUND — both the Keynesian and the
classical/monetarist traditions accept the long-run Phillips curve is vertical; they do not
dispute this. (d) NORMATIVE ('should always prioritize' — a value judgment, and one that is
NOT agreed ground; reasonable economists in both traditions weigh this trade-off
differently). The short paragraph earns credit for correctly identifying that (c) represents
genuine agreed ground (along with, e.g., that sustained high inflation is a monetary
phenomenon in the long run, or the short-run/long-run distinction itself), while (a), (b),
and (d) are either simple facts or genuinely contested normative claims — NOT agreed ground.
RUBRIC: 25 = all four labels correct AND the paragraph correctly identifies a genuine piece
of agreed ground, distinct from the contested claims, without declaring either school
"correct" overall. 15–20 = 3 labels right and/or the agreed-ground point is vague or
slightly conflated with a contested claim. 8–14 = 2 labels right or no real agreed-ground
point is named. 0–7 = mostly mislabeled, or the paragraph declares one school objectively
correct as a "fact."
FRESH VARIANT: "Label and identify agreed ground for a different set: (a) 'Meadowland's
deficit-to-GDP ratio is 4% this year.' (b) 'A 4% deficit is acceptable during a recession
but not during a boom.' (c) 'Sustained high inflation is, in the long run, a monetary
phenomenon.' (d) 'Policy rules always outperform discretion, no exceptions.'" ANSWER: (a)
POSITIVE. (b) NORMATIVE (a contested, values-laden claim about acceptability). (c) POSITIVE
and AGREED GROUND. (d) NORMATIVE ('always,' 'no exceptions' — an overstated, contested
claim; even classical/monetarist economists would qualify this more carefully).

================= COMPLETION =================
After all four problems (and any re-attempts), produce EXACTLY:
    STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100
    WEEK 15 ASSIGNMENT — The Schools of Thought & the Debt Arithmetic
    Student: [name] | Date: ___
    Problem 1: a/25 — [one-line note]
    Problem 2: b/25 — [one-line note]
    Problem 3: c/25 — [one-line note]
    Problem 4: d/25 — [one-line note]
    Strongest skill: ___
    Worth another look: ___
Then say, verbatim: "Copy this entire report AND your share link to this chat, and submit both
in Canvas for this assignment." End with one genuine sentence of encouragement.

Instructor grading note + rubric (for Canvas)

Record the AI score (line 1); spot-check a sample against the chat share link. The embedded key makes scores consistent across chatbots. Summary rubric (each problem to 25, total 100):

Quantitative gate: PASS — every number pre-computed/re-verified: P1 12/15×100=80, 0.6/15×100=4, (12+0.6)/15×100=84 (variant 9/12×100=75, 0.36/12×100=3, 9.36/12×100=78); P2 21/30×100=70, 1.5/30×100=5 (variant 18/24×100=75, 0.96/24×100=4).
Graph-logic check: PASS — this week's canon is primarily the schools table and the agreed-ground list rather than a curve-shift; both are verified: P3 correctly states the Keynesian mechanism (sticky prices → active stabilization) and the classical/monetarist mechanism (flexible prices given time, lags, rules) at full strength with no verdict; P4 correctly separates agreed ground (the vertical long-run Phillips curve) from contested normative claims. No free-text item is auto-graded against a single "right" wording; P3 and P4 grade fairness and mechanism-naming, not conclusions.

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 15 Assignment — The Schools of Thought & the Debt Arithmetic (adaptive)"
assignment_group = "Assignments"
points_possible  = 100
grading_type     = points
submission_types = [online_text_entry, online_url]
due_offset_days  = 6
published        = true
submission_note  = "Paste the AI summary report (score on line 1) + the chat share link."
provenance       = "~ Prof. Ashford's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"

Traditional variant — for comparison. This course is configured adaptive learning, so the actual Week-15 assignment is the AI-coached version in I-assignment-and-rubric-week-15.md. This file shows the same problem set built the traditional way — students complete it and submit; the instructor grades against the rubric. (Choosing assignment_type = traditional at setup generates this style.)

Course: Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 2) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Ashford
Objectives 1, 5–8 (synthesis) · SLO A & B · Assignment 15 of 14 · 100 points · Due Sun, Dec 13

The Assignment

Show your work and write your interpretations in complete sentences. Submit as a document or text entry.

Problem 1 — The debt-to-GDP and deficit-to-GDP arithmetic (25 pts). Meadowland has a national debt of $12 trillion and a GDP of $15 trillion, and runs a deficit this year of $0.6 trillion.
(a) Compute the debt-to-GDP ratio.
(b) Compute the deficit-to-GDP ratio.
(c) If nothing else changes, what will the debt-to-GDP ratio be NEXT year, once this year's deficit is added to the debt? Show every step.

Problem 2 — Debt vs. deficit + a fresh pair (25 pts).
(a) In your own words, explain the difference between the debt (a stock) and the deficit (a flow), using the Meadowland numbers ($12T debt, $0.6T deficit) as your example.
(b) A third country has a debt of $21 trillion and a GDP of $30 trillion, and runs a deficit of $1.5 trillion this year. Compute its debt-to-GDP ratio and its deficit-to-GDP ratio.

Problem 3 — Applying BOTH schools to a scenario (25 pts). Meadowland has just entered a recessionary gap — real GDP has fallen below potential output.
(a) State, in the Keynesian tradition's OWN terms, what this school would recommend and WHY (name the underlying mechanism).
(b) State, in the classical/monetarist tradition's OWN terms, what this school would recommend and WHY (name the underlying mechanism).
(c) Do NOT declare which school is "right" — instead, name ONE risk each school is most worried about.

Problem 4 — Positive vs. normative + the agreed ground (25 pts). Label each claim positive or normative, then in 3–4 sentences state ONE piece of "agreed ground" between the Keynesian and classical/monetarist traditions (something they do not disagree about), keeping it distinct from the genuinely contested claims below:
(a) "Meadowland's debt-to-GDP ratio is 80%." (b) "An 80% debt-to-GDP ratio is dangerously high and must be reduced immediately." (c) "The long-run Phillips curve is vertical at the natural rate of unemployment." (d) "The government should always prioritize fighting inflation over reducing unemployment."

AI note. This is the traditional format — submit your own work. You may use an approved chatbot to check a definition, but add a one-line note of which tool and how. (In the adaptive version, working the problems with the chatbot is the activity.)

Grading rubric — 100 points

Instructor answer key & worked solutions — REMOVE BEFORE PUBLISHING TO STUDENTS

• P1: (a) 12 ÷ 15 × 100 = 80% debt-to-GDP. (b) 0.6 ÷ 15 × 100 = 4% deficit-to-GDP. (c) next year's debt = $12T + $0.6T = $12.6T; against the same $15T GDP: 12.6 ÷ 15 × 100 = 84%. (Numbers pre-computed/verified.)
• P2: (a) The debt is the stock — everything the government has borrowed and not yet repaid, accumulated over many years ($12T total for Meadowland). The deficit is the flow — just THIS year's shortfall between spending and revenue ($0.6T). A deficit adds to the debt; they are never the same number, and a country's debt-to-GDP ratio could even fall despite a small deficit if GDP grows fast enough. (b) 21 ÷ 30 × 100 = 70% debt-to-GDP; 1.5 ÷ 30 × 100 = 5% deficit-to-GDP. (Verified.)
• P3: (a) KEYNESIAN: because wages and prices are sticky in the short run, the economy will not snap back to full employment quickly on its own; the recommendation is active fiscal and/or monetary stabilization (e.g., increase G and/or cut T, sized with the multiplier) to close the gap faster than waiting would. (b) CLASSICAL/MONETARIST: because prices do adjust given enough time, the gap will tend to self-correct; moreover, policy acts with long and variable lags, so a deliberately timed stimulus risks arriving too late (after the recession has already begun ending) and could then overheat a recovering economy, plus raise crowding-out concerns from added borrowing — the recommendation leans toward rules (steady policy, restraint) over case-by-case activism. (c) Keynesians are most worried about the cost of a prolonged gap (idle workers, permanently lost output); classical/monetarist economists are most worried about policy itself becoming the next problem (mistimed intervention, crowding out). (Both schools' mechanisms verified against the NUMBERS_PACK canon; no verdict given.)
• P4: (a) positive (a factual, computed ratio). (b) normative ("dangerously high" and "must" are value judgments — a genuinely contested claim between the schools, NOT agreed ground). (c) positive, AND this is agreed ground — both traditions accept the long-run Phillips curve is vertical; they do not dispute this. (d) normative ("should always prioritize" — a value judgment, and NOT agreed ground; reasonable economists in both traditions weigh this trade-off differently). Full credit on the paragraph requires correctly identifying that (c) represents genuine agreed ground (along with, e.g., that sustained high inflation is a monetary phenomenon in the long run, or the short-run/long-run distinction itself), while (a), (b), and (d) are either simple facts or genuinely contested normative claims — not agreed ground.

Quantitative gate: PASS — all numbers re-computed in Python (12/15×100=80; 0.6/15×100=4; 12.6/15×100=84; 21/30×100=70; 1.5/30×100=5; all variant checks land clean).
Graph-logic check: PASS — the Keynesian mechanism (sticky prices → active stabilization) and the classical/monetarist mechanism (flexible prices given time → lags/rules/crowding-out) are each verified as stated at full strength, in their own terms; the agreed-ground item is correctly distinguished from contested claims; no verdict is given anywhere in the key.

Quality gate (self-checked): distractors/traps named: confusing debt (stock) with deficit (flow), stating only one school's case, caricaturing either school instead of its strongest form, treating a contested normative claim as "agreed ground," and declaring one school objectively correct.

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 15 Assignment — The Schools of Thought & the Debt Arithmetic (traditional)"
assignment_group = "Assignments"
points_possible  = 100
grading_type     = points
submission_types = [online_upload, online_text_entry]
due_offset_days  = 6
rubric_ref       = "w15-assignment-rubric"
published        = true
provenance       = "~ Prof. Ashford's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"