Paul Harvell

Econ 1A, Spring 2010Introduction to Macroeconomics

Course Syllabus

Office: 432C. Office hours: Monday & Wednesday 8:30 - 9:30am. Tuesday 5 - 6 pm. Thursday, virtual (online).

Phone: (831) 477-5218.

Email: . Begin your subject line with “ECON:”.

Class webpage(s): www.cabrillo.edu/~pharvell Click on Econ 1A for this class

Books: The required text is the study guide to Brief Principles of Macroeconomics by David R. Hakes and N. Gregory Mankiw. The basic text, Brief Principles of Macroeconomics by N. Gregory Mankiw (that this study guide is written for), is available, optional but recommended. The current edition is the 5th, but the 4th (and even the 3rd, I think) will work fine.

  • Students must sign in to preserve their seat in the class
  • Grading will be primarily determined by four exams (including the final).
  • All exams equally weighted, not comprehensive.
  • Each exam is a combination of multiple choice (about 70 questions) and written questions.
  • Exams are closed notes and closed book.
  • Lowest score midterm will be dropped. The final will NOT be dropped
  • For those wanting to count all three midterms, there is an optional alternative final project (AFP) where the class grade is based upon the three midterms.
  • There is a bonus reward for taking all three midterms.
  • There is a small bonus for properly following the instructions printed on the exam.
  • Must bring Apperson test form to each exam. Also, get yourself a good eraser.
  • Calculators are allowed (and recommended) in class and on exams. No other electronic devices are allowed on during an exam, this includes cell phones, I-Pods, laptops, blenders, guitar amps and PSPs.
  • Showing up late to an exam can result in a penalty (about 10% of exam) to the student
  • Essay questions can receive negative scores (up to the point value of the question)
  • No audio or video recording of lectures is allowed without prior permission (I don’t wish to be on YouTube)
  • No Extra Credit assignments
  • No make-up exams
  • Points may also be awarded for an extra activities or assignments, but none are currently planned.
  • All who are allowed to add, whether on the waitlist or not, must process the add.

Grading Policy:Grade: A: 90% B: 75% C: 60% D: 45%

Students should retain all tests until official notification of course grade. Students wanting pass/no pass grading option need to submit a written statement requesting that by the official deadline. Obtain a form from the class website. Students are responsible for dropping the class. Students are responsible for knowing hours of operation of the bookstore in order to obtain materials necessary for taking the exams.

Any corrections or changes to this syllabus will be announced in class. Any cheating will be punished with at least an automatic “F.” for the course. Further action can be taken by school administration. Students automatically consent to re-take an exam if the instructor has any question about the integrity of the results.

All students needing accommodations should inform the instructor ASAP. Veterans may qualify for accommodations. Wounded Warriors may have acquired injuries which through the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) entitles the use of accommodations to ensure equal opportunity for students with verified disabilities. To determine if you qualify or need assistance with an accommodation, please contact Disabled Student Services, Room 810, 479-6379, or the Learning Skills Program, Room 1073, 479-6220.

Outline of Class

I. Macroeconomic Theory

A) Chapter titled: “Measuring a Nation’s Income”

B) Chapter titled: “Measuring the Cost of Living”

C) Chapter titled: “Production and Growth”

D) Chapter titled: “Saving, Investment, and the Financial System”

Midterm #1, March 10 (week 5), Covering Section I

II. Monetary Theory

A) Chapter titled: “The Monetary System”

B) Chapter titled: “Money Growth and Inflation”

Midterm #2, April 14 (week 9), Covering Section II

III. Unemployment, International, and Business Cycles

A) Chapter titled: “Open-Economy Macroeconomics: Basic Concepts”

B) Chapter titled: “Unemployment”

C) Chapter titled: “Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply”

Midterm #3, May 19 (week 13), Covering Section III

IV. Business Cycle Theory & Policy

A) Chapter titled: “The Influence of Monetary and Fiscal Policy on Aggregate Demand”

B) Chapter titled: “The Short-Run Trade-off between Inflation and Unemployment”

C) Chapter titled: “Five Debates over Macroeconomic Policy”

Final Exam, see Final Exam Schedule, Covering Section IV

Other Important Dates:

Friday & Monday, February 12 & 15, President’s Day

March 29-April 3, Spring Break

May 8: Last Day to Withdraw with a grade of “W”

Monday, May 31, Memorial Day

June 1-5, Final Exams

Travis McGee's still in Cedar Key,

That's what old John MacDonald said

My rendezvous so long over due

All of the things I've sung and read

They still apply to me

They all make sense in time(J. Buffett)

Paperback novels make young girls dream and

Judy's spending quieter days in the stream

With Goodman, Giovinno, and John Mac D. They were

such good friends to me(J. Buffett)

Any writer who writes only when he "feels like it" is perhaps not only an unsuccessful writer, but quite possibly an unsuccessful human being. (I am not using success in any strict monetary sense.)

(John D. MacDonald)

Cabrillo College – Breakthroughs Happen Here™