Using a substantive paragraph of about 200 words for each question, explain how you know the following statements are each FALSE. Imagine you are arguing against someone who believes one of these statements to be true. Some powerful facts would be what you would want to use in your argument.

You must use information/facts from this course rather than looking for new material on the internet. Please indicate the source of your facts – a casual citation is OK as long as its complete enough for us to locate the source of your information (for example, TEXT, p. 124; or Stiglitz article, week 8; or Eaton video, week 12). No quotations – this is not what we want here. We want you to use your own words to make the argument. Do not “paraphrase.” Instead, summarize.

There are many reasons some statements are false and therefore we do not expect all answers to be the same. Obviously, it’s a take-home exam so you can talk to others. But we expect your exam to be your own work and hence if two students cite precisely the same facts in answers, we are not going to be positively impressed. Again, use your own words. If you copy or “only lightly rewrite” material from the internet, the course, or from elsewhere, this will be considered a violation of academic integrity.

The Statements:

1. Race and gender were important in the past but are no longer important in the United States for outcomes in the labor market, income or other matters related to work. (30 points)
2. Social class is simply determined by income in the United States today. (30 points)
3. One of the main reasons union membership has been declining in the U.S. since 1980 is that employment law now gives workers so many protections from unfair treatment or discharge that few want to be represented by a union. (30 points)