Syllabus – Econ 180 – Macroeconomics
Instructor: David Hewitt
Email:
Office: Adjunct Faculty Office, Social Sciences
Office Hours: Immediately after class
Course time & Location: Monday, 2:20 – 5:30 PM, Social Science 101
Website: TBA
Course Description
An introduction to the principles and problems of macroeconomics. Covers economic concepts and principles as applied to markets, national income, unemployment, inflation, economic growth, fiscal and monetary policy, banking, the Federal Reserve System, and international economics.
Textbook and Materials
N. Gregory Mankiw’s Principles of Macroeconomics, 5th Edition, with Aplia bundle. ISBN: 978-0324-60090-2
Please note, this course requires frequent use of the online Aplia software package for homework assignments. More information on Aplia is found below.
It is strongly recommended that students make an effort to become aware of current economic news. Good sources for economic news include the Economist, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Bloomberg.com.
http://www.economist.com/
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
http://www.nytimes.com/
http://www.bloomberg.com/
Prerequisites
No prior education is economics is assumed or required for this class. However, while there is no official prerequisite for this class, students will not be able to succeed without certain previously acquired skills. Students must be proficient in math through at least one year worth of high school level algebra, including topics such as slopes, lines, functions, averages and ratios. Students must be able to read and comprehend the textbook. Students must also have sufficient computer skills to be able to access the internet to complete online assignments.
How to Succeed
The problems: This course moves quickly and covers a great deal of material. You may not have seen anything like this material before.
The solution: Keep up with the assignments, including the reading. The course outline, listed later in the Syllabus, includes target dates for you to have completed reading each chapter, as well as expected dates that homework is due and exams are expected.
It is strongly recommended that you pick at least two times each week that you can dedicate to outside work for this class, including reading and Aplia assignments. Depending on how quickly you read and how well you retain material, you may need more time, or may want to re-read some sections.
Many weeks cover 40 to 50 pages of reading in the textbook and also include multiple homework assignments. Make sure you give yourself enough time! It is difficult to catch up once you fall behind.
This semester may be especially difficult for many students because the class meets only once per week. It can be tempting to leave class and put things out of your mind. Stay on top of the reading. If you fall behind, ask for help.
Office Hours
The instructor is available to hold office hours every week. This is your chance to come by and ask for help. You do not need an appointment to come see me! Just don’t wait too long; if you fall too far behind, there may not be anything I can do. Because I am normally only on campus on Mondays, I will make myself available immediately after class, barring unusual circumstances.
Cheating
Cheating of any kind, including plagiarism, will not be tolerated. Students found to be cheating will receive an automatic F for the assignment or test. Students ARE PERMITTED and are even encouraged to work together to complete the homework assignments; however, each student must log on separately and must officially complete their own online homework.
Course Outline
The course outline below is tentative and MAY CHANGE depending how the class unfolds. Changes to exam dates will be announced in class at least one week in advance.
Week 1 / Monday, February 02 / First day of class. Lecture topics: Introduction, Chapter 1 & 2Thursday, February 05 / Introduction to Aplia due. Read chapter 1: Ten Principles of Economics
Sunday, February 08 / Aplia Chapter 2 Problem Set due. Read chapter 2: Thinking Like and Economist
Week 2 / Monday, February 09 / Lecture topics: Chapter 3 & 4
Thursday, February 12 / Aplia Chapter 3 Problem Set due. Read chapter 3: Interdependence and the Gains from Trade
Sunday, February 15 / Aplia Chapter 4 Problem Set due. Read chapter 4: The Market Forces of Supply and Demand
Week 3 / Monday, February 16 / NO CLASS
Thursday, February 19 / Aplia: News Analysis due. Read chapter 5: Elasticity and Its Application
Sunday, February 22 / Aplia: News Analysis due. Read chapter 6: Supply, Demand, and Government Policies
Week 4 / Monday, February 23 / Lecture topics: Chapter 5 & 6
Thursday, February 26 / Aplia Chapter 5 Problem Set due. Read chapter 7: Consumers, Producers, and the Efficiency of Markets
Sunday, March 01 / Aplia Chapter 6 Problem Set due. Read chapter 8: Application: The Costs of Taxation
Week 5 / Monday, March 02 / Lecture topics: Chapter 7 & 8
Thursday, March 05 / Aplia Chapter 7 Problem Set due. Read chapter 9: Application: International Trade
Sunday, March 08 / Aplia Chapter 8 Problem Set due. Read chapter 10: Measuring a Nation's Income
Week 6 / Monday, March 09 / Lecture topics: Chapter 9 & 10
Thursday, March 12 / Aplia Chapter 9 Problem Set due. Read chapter 11: Measuring the Cost of Living
Sunday, March 15 / Aplia Chapter 10 Problem Set due. Study for exam
Week 7 / Monday, March 16 / FIRST EXAM. Lecture topics: Chapter 11
Thursday, March 19 / Aplia Chapter 11 Problem Set due. Read chapter 12: Production and Growth
Sunday, March 22 / Aplia: News Analysis due. Read chapter 13: Saving, Investment, and the Financial System
Week 8 / Monday, March 23 / Lecture topics: Chapter 12 & 13
Thursday, March 26 / Aplia Chapter 12 Problem Set due. Read chapter 14: The Basic Tools of Finance
Sunday, March 29 / Aplia Chapter 13 Problem Set due. Read chapter 15: Unemployment
Week 9 / Monday, March 30 / SPRING BREAK - NO CLASS
Thursday, April 02
Sunday, April 05 / Catch up on any missed reading
Week 10 / Monday, April 06 / Lecture topics: Chapter 14 & 15
Thursday, April 09 / Aplia Chapter 14 Problem Set due. Read chapter 16: The Monetary System
Sunday, April 12 / Aplia Chapter 15 Problem Set due. Read chapter 17: Money Growth and Inflation
Week 11 / Monday, April 13 / Lecture topics: Chapter 16 & 17
Thursday, April 16 / Aplia Chapter 16 Problem Set due. Read chapter 18: Open-Economy Macroeconomics: Basic Concepts
Sunday, April 19 / Aplia Chapter 17 Problem Set due. Study for exam
Week 12 / Monday, April 20 / SECOND EXAM. Lecture topics: Chapter 18
Thursday, April 23 / Aplia Chapter 18 Problem Set due. Read chapter 19: A Macroeconomic Theory of the Open Economy
Sunday, April 26 / Aplia: News Analysis due. Read chapter 20: Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply
Week 13 / Monday, April 27 / Lecture topics: Chapter 19 & 20
Thursday, April 30 / Aplia Chapter 19 Problem Set due.
Sunday, May 03 / Aplia Chapter 20 Problem Set due. Read chapter 21: The Influence of Monetary and Fiscal Policy on Aggregate Demand
Week 14 / Monday, May 04 / Lecture topics: Chapter 21
Thursday, May 07 / Aplia Chapter 21 Problem Set due.
Sunday, May 10 / Aplia: News Analysis due. Read chapter 22: The Short-Run Trade-off between Inflation and Unemployment
Week 15 / Monday, May 11 / Lecture topics: Chapter 22
Thursday, May 14 / Aplia Chapter 22 Problem Set due. Read chapter 23: Five Debates over Macroeconomic Policy
Sunday, May 17 / Aplia: News Analysis due. Study for exam
Week 16 / Monday, May 18 / FINAL EXAM. Lecture topics: Chapter 23
Thursday, May 21 / Aplia Chapter 23 Problem Set due.
Sunday, May 24 / Focus on your other classes
Week 17 / Monday, May 25 / NO CLASS
Thursday, May 28
Sunday, May 31 / Relax
Grading Policy
Homework: 20% or 40% of the total
Midterm 1: 20%
Midterm 2: 20%
Final Exam: 20% or 40% of the total
Whichever is higher between Homework or Final Exam will count as an additional 20%.
Attendance is required. Because this class meets only once per week, missing even a single class can be fatal for your grade.
Students are required to complete online homework problems. Instructions for registering are at the end of this syllabus. Each homework set has a specific time by which it must be completed. Early homework is accepted, late homework is not.
No make-up exams will be given. However, students who have a conflict and notify the instructor in advance may, at the instructor’s discretion, be permitted to drop a midterm and have the final count as an additional 20% of the student’s grade.
The final exam may cover material from the entire course.
While the percentage required for each letter grade may change during the semester, it will not be any more demanding than the following:
90%: A * 80%: B * 70%: C * 60%: D
Aplia Student Registration and Payment Instructions
Course Name: Economics 180: Macroeconomics - Spring 09
Start Date: 02/02/2009 Instructor: David Hewitt
Course Key: 3QE6-BGU4-8KX4
You can begin working on your homework as soon as you register!
• In this course, you will use a textbook and Aplia's website.
• In most cases, you can save money if you buy Aplia and your textbook together. See payment options below.
• You will have access to a digital version of your textbook using Aplia.
Registration
If you have never used Aplia before...
1. Connect to http://www.aplia.com.
2. Click the New Student link and enter your Course Key: 3QE6-BGU4-8KX4. Continue following the instructions to complete your registration.
If you have used Aplia before...
1. Connect to http://www.aplia.com.
2. Sign in with your usual e-mail address and password and enter your Course Key when prompted: 3QE6-BGU4-8KX4. If you are not prompted for a new Course Key, click the Enter Course Key button to enroll in a new Aplia course. Enter your Course Key when you are prompted.
* You will have different payment options after you register for your course. If you choose to pay later, you can use Aplia without paying until 11:59 PM on 02/22/2009.
Payment
Option 1: Digital Textbook with Aplia Access
• From Aplia: Purchase access to your course from Aplia's website for $70.00 USD.
Option 2: Physical Textbook with Aplia Access (also includes digital textbook)
• From Aplia: Purchase access to your course for $70.00 USD and a physical book for $50.00 USD from Aplia's website.
• From Bookstore: Purchase an Aplia Access Card and a physical book together as a bundle from your campus bookstore.
* If you purchased an Aplia Access Card from a bookstore, enter the Access Card's payment code on Aplia's website as payment for your Aplia course.
* You will have access to your digital textbook up until the end of this course.