Policies Affecting Chicago’s Attractiveness to Global Business (I know this is not a good title, so feel free to replace it if you have a better one)

This is a 15-page research paper.

In this paper, you should address the following:
1. In order for Chicago to attract global business, it needs to be a global city first. What are some of the most important characteristics of global city? (max. 0.5-page)
2. Identify what policies matter to Chicago in order for the city to attract global business? (max. 3-page)
a. Identify at least 5 policy criteria (I thought of some)
i. Tax
ii. Infrastructure
iii. Human capital
iv. Connectivity (airports, airlines)
v. Industry demographic
b. With regard to policies, go as detailed as possible to analyze.
c. For example, do not just talk about tax policy in general, but which specific law/policy/regulation has the impact?
3. How is Chicago doing across these policies? (max. 2-page)
4. What’s the difference between Chicago and other global cities in terms of its business-related policies? (max. 2-page)
5. Chicago’s comparative advantage and disadvantage to other global cities regarding business-related policies? (max. 2-page)
6. How can Chicago improve/change to be more competitive to other top-tier global cities? (min. 6-page)

Sources you cite should be fresh, meaning that they should be no older than year 2005:
1. You must refer to at least 10 articles and 3 books as citations. The books you pick, however, can be as old as year 2000.
2. These sources must be academic sources -> meaning that news articles/reports do not count -> the source has to come from a scholar or an academic institution

You will be graded based on the following criteria (pay strict attention to this, and follow the format):
1. Provided a descriptive and meaningful title for the paper
2. Developed a concise abstract which summarized the paper in a useful manner: defines topic, thesis, research questions, and findings
3. Introduced and clearly defined the topic, provided hook for the reader and documented key questions to be answered. Presented strong thesis statement and policy recommendation. Gave a clear roadmap for the paper
4. Presented background information that clearly supported the topic, contained limited extraneous information, and supported the paper topic
5. Presented a literature review with 10 to 13 authoritative and timely resources (appropriate combination of books and peer reviewed journals). Included some interesting antidotal information. Clearly presented either chronologically or thematically
6. Defined research questions that drove analysis. Identified and appropriately used a research methodology. Refuted alternate positions. Clearly presented findings
7. Provided a conclusion, which tied key components of paper together including thesis statement, finding, and key conclusions. Included specific policy recommendations, appropriate future research topics
8. Followed formatting guide (e.g., length, margins, etc.), including APA formatting requirements (e.g., citations, sources)

Useful Sources (use these sources to help you get ideas, but do not treat them as citation sources):
1. Hot Spots 2025 – Benchmarking the future competitiveness of cities
2. Beyond the Scorecard: Understanding Global City Rankings
3. World Business Chicago – Annual Report 2014
4. FDI perspective from Chicago
5. The City of Chicago Technology Plan
6. The Business of Cities 2013
7. KPMG – Global Cities Investment Monitor 2015
8. World Economic Forum – The Competitiveness of Cities
9. Global Hospitality Insights
10. The Illinois Economic Development Plan 2014