Assignment Moral Limits of Markets
EU passports are now being sold to those willing and able to pay enough, see the Economist piece: The problem of the EU “golden passports” (26 September 2020). The idea is simple: demand is high, and it allows attracting people with means to the EU, which is financially attractive to hosting countries as they can secure higher tax payments and enjoy additional financial activities. Not all agree. Given that getting a passport in one EU country provides many rights also in other EU countries, some find the idea of being able to buy into the EU without serious naturalization process an open door for various undesirable outcomes from tax evasion to increasing inequality. In this assignment you are asked to reflect on the Economist article and address the question: to what extent is having EU passports as a commodity morally legitimate? You are expected to write a critical literature review of 3000 words on the subject, in which you use (minimally twelve) academic sources related to the topic. In your essay, you are expected to demonstrate your ability to extract the relevant details from the literature and the materials discussed during the lectures, and to write a coherent paper based on this information, which should be split into three parts: (1) theoretical background (2) analysis and (3) conclusion and questions for further research. Please take the role of a policy advisor and provide the policy makers with your report. Students should (1) explain why their research question is relevant; (2) address and describe a relevant recent policy development related to the topics mentioned above; (3) deliberate whether the policy should be adopted by the government; (4) answer their research question and formulate, based on their conclusions, a new, relevant research question for future research. More detailed information is given below. Please follow these steps meticulously.
A. Introduction In the introduction you should start with a recent event. You briefly describe the event, and explain what the problem is, for whom it is a problem, and how big the problem is. Next you will describe the proposal or proposals (max. two) that could solve the problem. This should lead to your research question. This implies that you have to make the abovementioned question, to what extent is having EU passports as a commodity morally legitimate, more specific:
what sub-questions will you need to answer?
Subsequently you will describe how you have structured your literature research.
B. Theoretical background For this part you have to address a couple of the following issues and questions. Please note that you are expected to write an essay. Do not just answer the questions. Please pick the relevant topics – depending on the angle you have chosen:
• The main principles of free market, include supply and demand, elasticity, international trade.
How are those related to the problem at hand?
• International trade means trade between people with different sets of moral values.
• When EU passports can be bought, inequality rises.
• Moral taboos are inefficient.
• Markets influence morals. • Markets come with different responsibilities on all levels.
Besides these topics you should also describe the criteria that will test whether buying an EU passport should be left for each member country to decide upon, regulated on the EU level, or banned.
C. Analysis • Which reasons why have EU passports as commodity is are morally legitimate have been suggested?
Limit the suggestions to a maximum of two.
• Which arguments support this idea/these ideas?
• Which arguments refute this idea/these ideas?
D. Conclusion and questions for further research What is you conclusion based on your research (analysis)?
Of course it will not be possible to come up with a definite answer yet, therefore argue which issue should be resolved, so that a more definite answer to your research question is possible, i.e. argue why we will be able to come with a more definite answer to your research question once this issue will have been solved. Also argue why it is feasible to do this kind of research.
Requirements • Your assignment should be 3000 words (10% deviation allowed excl. the reference list and appendices). • 12 reliable sources: managerial and academic journals. • Language: English (international groups)/ Dutch (Dutch groups) • Font: Times New Roman 11 • Line Spacing: 1.5 • Use in-text references (APA style) • Make a reference list (APA style) • Indent whenever you start a new paragraph • Use in-text references. If you omit references, 1 point per mistake will be deducted of your final grade • Your text should have an appropriate title and sub-headers for each section • Name and student number (below the title)
Reference List
– Bauböck, Rainer. editor, (2018), Debating Transformations of National Citizenship, Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Springer, 1st ed. 2018., 2018
– Satz, D. (2010). Why Some Things Should Not Be for Sale. The Moral Limits of Markets. New York:Oxford Press
– Shachar, Ayelet, Citizenship for Sale? (May 26, 2018). The Oxford Handbook of Citizenship (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017), Available at SSRN:
https://ssrn.com/abstract=3185561
– Konrad, K. A., & Rees, R. (2020). Passports for sale: The political economy of conflict and cooperation in a meta-club. European Journal of Political Economy, 62, 101855.
– Satz, Debra (2008). The moral limits of markets: The case of human kidneys. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 108, 269-288
Ingrid Robeyns (2005). The Capability Approach: a theoretical survey, Journal of Human Development, 6:1, 93- 114
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Benartzi, S., Beshears, J., Milkman, K. L., Sunstein, C. R.,Thaler, R. H., Shankar, M., &Galing, S. (2017). Should Governments Invest More in Nudging? Psychological Science, 28(8), 1041-1055.
Jensen, M.C. (2002). Value maximization, stakeholder theory, and the corporate objective function. Business Ethics Quarterly, 12(2), 235-256.
Falk, A., &Szech, N. (2013). Morals and markets. Science, 340(6133), 707-711.
Bowles, S. (2008). Policies designed for self-interested citizens may undermine” the moral sentiments”: Evidence from economic experiments. Science, 320, 1605-1609.