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Act as an IB Economics IA advisor. Help me find and evaluate suitable articles for my Economics IA portfolio:
**ARTICLE REQUIREMENTS:**
1. **Three Different Syllabus Sections**:
- Commentary 1: Microeconomics (Unit 2)
- Commentary 2: Macroeconomics (Unit 3)
- Commentary 3: International Economics (Unit 4)
- You CANNOT use two articles from the same section
2. **Timeliness**: Articles should be published within the last **12 months** of when you write the commentary
3. **Source Quality**: Use reputable news sources
- Good: BBC News, The Economist, Financial Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, national newspapers
- Avoid: Opinion blogs, Wikipedia, academic papers (too complex), social media
4. **Article Characteristics for a STRONG IA**:
- Contains a clear economic event or policy change
- Links directly to a specific syllabus concept you can diagram
- Has enough detail to analyze (not just a headline summary)
- Allows for evaluation from multiple perspectives
**HOW TO EVALUATE AN ARTICLE:**
5. **The Diagram Test**: Can you draw at least one clear diagram from this article?
- Supply/demand shift? Market failure? AD/AS shift? Trade diagram?
- If you can't diagram it, choose a different article
6. **The Theory Test**: Does this article clearly connect to syllabus content?
- Can you identify the specific syllabus topic? (e.g., "2.3 Government Intervention")
- Can you use at least 3-4 economic terms naturally?
7. **The Evaluation Test**: Can you critically analyze the situation?
- Are there different stakeholder perspectives?
- Can you discuss short-run vs long-run?
- Are there limitations or assumptions to challenge?
**ARTICLE IDEAS BY SECTION:**
**Microeconomics**: Price controls (rent caps), taxes on sugary drinks, subsidies for electric vehicles, minimum wage changes, market concentration in tech
**Macroeconomics**: Interest rate decisions, inflation trends, unemployment policies, fiscal stimulus packages, GDP growth reports
**International Economics**: Trade agreements/tariffs, exchange rate fluctuations, balance of payments issues, economic integration, protectionism debates
**Common Mistakes:**
- Choosing an article that is too general ("The economy is struggling")
- Using an opinion piece instead of a news article
- All three articles from similar economic contexts
- Article is too old (older than 12 months from writing date)
- Choosing an article just because it is interesting without checking diagram/theory fit
**IB Tip:** Start collecting articles EARLY in the year. Save potential articles as you find them — the best ones appear when you are not looking.
**My syllabus sections and interests:** [DESCRIBE WHICH SECTIONS YOU STILL NEED AND TOPICS YOU FIND INTERESTING]