University of Surrey FASS Foundation Year

MAN0005 Research Project Proposal (500 For 2021: Please note that the
proposal format has changed
words) slightly for this year.
Disclaimer: this is a sample
12/03/2019 proposal for discussion, not
necessarily a model of best
1. Working Title An analysis of the Economic
practice. Effects of hosting
World-Scale sporting events on their respective
economies.
2. Research Context Being the host nation for sporting events such
as the Olympics is often seen as a significant
benefit to an economy, with many of the major
cities in the country seeing vast improvements
to areas such as infrastructure. Furthermore,
some economies generate a notable amount of
revenue from hosting the games, such as
London 2012’s staggering $5.2 billion (CFR,
2018), the highest in recorded history.
However, with a deeper knowledge of the area
it is clear to see that it is not all as good as it
seems. The monetary costs for organising such a
large-scale event are enormous; Russia spent
$21.89 billion on the Sochi winter Olympics in
2014 and that figure does not include spending
on main infrastructure such as airports, roads
and railways (Forbes, 2016).
Even the bidding process is expensive; countries
have to make upfront payments just to be
considered in preliminary applicant stage and
final candidate stage. On top of that, costs can
arise even before the bidding begins as
countries analyse the feasibility of hosting. It is
reported that Tokyo spent as much as $150
million in its failed bid for the 2016 Summer
Games (Zimbalist, 2015).
Now there are not only monetary costs of
hosting the games. Social costs associated with
the development of the cities involved include
environmental degradation, eviction and
community destruction. Following on from this,
there are significant opportunity costs of
holding the event. Such a large sum of money
could be spent on more pressing matters, for
example on education or health care.

3. Structure Introduction – synopsis of the arguments

University of Surrey FASS Foundation Year

for and against being the host nation for

international sporting events.

Section 1 – background facts and figures.

Section 2 – arguments for being the host

nation.

Section 3 – arguments against being the

host nation.

Section 4 – analysis of my findings and

weighing out the arguments.

4. Research aim and methods
Conclusion/Summary/Recommendations
I aim to gather sufficient information
from relevant data sources (e.g. from
books such as Circus Maximus) about
the short and long-term economic
impacts of hosting the Olympic Games,
in order to make a valued judgment as
to whether hosting the Olympic Games
is a rational economic decision.

5. Annotated Bibliography

1. a) Wills, Jennifer (2018) ‘The Economic Impact of Hosting the Olympics’

Investopedia, 30 September. Available at:
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets-economy/092416/what-
economic-impact-hosting-olympics.asp

b) This article focuses heavily on the facts and figures associated directly with
hosting the games while excluding the long-term implications. The article
looks at the costs from a purely economic angle.

2. a) McBride, James (2018) ‘The Economics of Hosting the Olympic Games’ Council
on Foreign Relations, 19 January. Available at:
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/economics-hosting-olympic-games

b) This article continues to provide useful data about the costs and benefits of
hosting the Olympics, both in the short-run and long-run. It also takes a
slightly more political angle.
University of Surrey FASS Foundation Year

3. a) McCarthy, Niall (2016) ‘The Massive Cost of Hosting the Olympic Games
[Infographic]’ Forbes, 4 August. Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2016/08/04/the-massive-cost-
of-hosting-the-olympic-games-infographic/#1a733ce12e38

b) This short article provides a clear graphical illustration of the costs of hosting
the Olympic Games for each city since 1992. Furthermore, it gives the cost
overrun as a percentage which may prove useful when discussing the long-
term effects.

4. a) Zimbalist, A. (2015) Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting

the Olympics and the World Cup, Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution
Press.

b) This is a book that incorporates a vast amount of evidence, focusing on the

deception that precedes such an event and the disappointment that follows
making it relevant for both the short and long-run costs.

5. a) Flyvbjerg, B., Stewart, A., Budzier, A (2016) ‘The Oxford Olympics Study 2016:
Cost and Cost Overrun at the Games’ Saïd Business School, University of
Oxford. Available at: https://eureka.sbs.ox.ac.uk/6195/1/2016-20.pdf

b) This is a heavily detailed research paper that brings together a significant

amount of data from a variety of sources. It focuses on providing facts and
figures about the costs of hosting the games, taking purely an economic
viewpoint.

Word count: 546