Principles of Macroeconomics

SPRING 2017 CRN# 21127

Instructor: Jessie Folk

Lecture: Tuesday and Thursday

8:00 – 9:15 AM

Atkinson 108

Office: Atkinson 433

Office Phone: 478-445-2415

Office hours: TR: 12 – 12:30 PM

MWF: By appointment

Email:

Website: http://jfolk.gcsu.edu

Text: Macroeconomics: Principles and Applications, Sixth Edition

Robert E. Hall and Marc Lieberman

(Digital copy included with Aplia registration)

Required Registration: Aplia

Additional Topic help: Khan Academy

Course Overview & Objective

Why are some countries rich while others are poor? What causes inflation and unemployment, and why do they differ across countries? Addressing questions like these is the object of macroeconomics, which is the study of an entire national economy. The overall objective is to help you develop the economic way of thinking, especially when evaluating news and policy proposals related to the macro-economy. More specifically, my hope is that you will have a basic understanding of the pervasive role of scarcity and incentives; the role of prices and interest rates in allocating resources; and the causes of economic growth, employment and inflation.

Evaluation Criteria:

Attendance
Aplia problem sets
Exams / 10%
25%
65%

Your final grade for the course is determined on a standard 100 point scale:

A: 90% to 100%, B: 80%-89%, C: 70%-79%, D: 60%-69%, F: 59% and below.

Do not ask for extra credit assignments!

Attendance:

Attendance is expected and required. I will take attendance about 12 times during the semester. Each roll call is worth 10 points, for a maximum grade of 100. If you are only present for 9 roll calls, then your attendance grade will be a 90%. If you are only present for 8 roll calls, it will be an 80% (and so on). If you have an excused absence, then you are responsible for showing me the excuse in a timely manner, but please be aware that the final attendance grade can still be affected by unexcused absences.

If you miss a class period, you are still responsible for the material covered that day. Please do not ask me for a copy of my lecture notes.

If you are absent when graded work is returned, you will have to wait until the next class period to receive your grade. I will NOT e-mail any grades. I will not give your graded work to anyone else, unless arrangements have been made beforehand.

Aplia Problem Sets:

There will be mandatory problem sets available online through the website Aplia.com. These problem sets will reinforce the concepts discussed in class and will be beneficial in preparing you for the exams. The three lowest scores will be discarded. Your Aplia average will be determined using a weighted average, meaning “points earned divided by total points.” Instructions for accessing the problem sets are included at the end of this syllabus, as well as the class website.

Exams:

There will be two mid-semester exams and a comprehensive final exam. Exam questions will reflect information and ideas presented both in lecture and the assigned readings. Your exam average will be determined by your two highest exam grades.

Tentative Exam Dates:

Exam 1: Thurs Feb 23rd

Exam 2: Tues Apr 25th

Final: Fri May 5th at 8:00am

If you arrive late to take the exam and another student has already turned in their exam and left the room,

you will not be allowed to take the exam.

If you Miss an Exam:

I do not give make-up exams. Since the lowest exam grade will be dropped, if you miss an exam it will simply become your dropped exam grade. Therefore, if you miss either Exam 1 or Exam 2, you will take the Final Exam. If you take both Exam 1 and Exam 2, you will have the option of not taking the Final Exam.

*If you miss more than one exam, with excused absences (as defined by the university or as determined by me), then I will deal with that on a case-by-case basis.

The University defines the following as excused absences: illness of the student or serious illness of a member of the student’s immediate family; death of a member of the student’s immediate family; University sponsored trips; or major religious holidays. In each foreseen case, written verification will be required at least one week before the scheduled exam and permission to miss an exam must be secured before the scheduled exam time.

Going over Exams:

We will go over each exam during class, but you will not be allowed to keep the exam booklets. Those will remain in my office.

Grievance Procedure:

Anyone feeling that a dispute exists after the grading of an exam may submit a written grievance. The grievance should identify the item in dispute and provide arguments supporting the student’s position. Grievances must be submitted by the end of the class period in which the exam is returned. Please note that “what I meant to say” is not a sufficient argument; your appeal should explain why what you wrote deserves more credit.

Common Class Policies

The other standard class policies are available at the following link:

https://economics.gcsu.edu/general%20syllabus%20statements.htm

Topic Outline

Chapter 1 - What is Economics?

Chapter 2 - Scarcity, Choice, and Economic Systems

Chapter 3 - Supply and Demand

Chapter 5 - What Macroeconomics Tries to Explain

Chapter 6 - Production, Income and Employment

Chapter 7 - The Price Level and Inflation

Chapter 8 - The Classical Long-Run Model

Chapter 9 - Economic Growth and Rising Living Standards

Chapter 10 - Economic Fluctuations

Chapter 11 - The Short-Run Macro Model

Chapter 13 - Money, Banks and the Federal Reserve

Chapter 14 - The Money Market and Monetary Policy

Chapter 12 - Fiscal Policy

Chapter 15 - Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply

Chapter 16 - Inflation and Monetary Policy

Chapter 17 - Exchange Rates and Macroeconomic Policy

*Note: The instructor reserves the right to make any necessary changes to the outline during the semester. Students will be notified in advance if such changes are made.

For additional explanation of a specific topic, you can access videos on most topics at Khan Academy http://khanacademy.org

Other Important Dates:

Jan 13 / Last Day to drop/withdraw (no fee penalty)
Jan 16 / MLK, Jr Holiday
Feb 28 / Midterm feedback
Mar 6 / Last Day to drop (no academic penalty)
Mar 20 – 24 / Spring Break
May 1 / Last day of classes
May 2 – 5 / Final Exam Week
May 10 / Grades will be posted by this date

Course Expectations

Being Prepared:

Students are expected to read assigned material and complete homework problems. If you have a question regarding the material and you do not get an opportunity to ask it during class, stop by during my office hours or feel free to contact me via email. Being prepared also means going through the notes from one class period before coming to the next class period. If you look at the new material at least once within forty-eight hours of first seeing it, you will learn the material more thoroughly and studying for the exam will be easier.

Being in Class:

Consistent attendance is essential for acceptable performance in the course. Many students find economic concepts difficult to grasp. Missing class will only make the process of absorbing this material more difficult. I will also present material in class that may not be found in the text. If you find yourself falling behind or you are having problems with the material, I encourage you to come to me for assistance.

Being Courteous:

§  If you do plan to attend class, be on time and do not leave until class is dismissed. Late arrivals and early departures are very disruptive to your fellow students and to me!! If you have a long walk to get to this class from another, let me know in advance. If nature calls so loudly that you must answer, please leave and return to the classroom as quietly as possible.

§  Please avoid carrying on private conversations during class. This behavior shows disrespect for your classmates who would like to hear the lecture and it can have a negative impact on the learning experience of the entire class.

§  Please turn off all cell phones, etc. If you are unable to turn off these electronic devices, please have them on mute or leave them at home. It is very disruptive to your peers and to me to have a cell phone ring during class.

Further Note on Attendance:

It is the responsibility of students to be cognizant of their own record of absences and to consult the instructor regarding work missed. The decision to permit students to make up work rests with the instructor. At any time during the semester an instructor has the right to assign a grade of F for excessive absences when a student exceeds the number of allowable absences specified in the instructor’s attendance policy distributed to the student in the instructor’s course syllabus. If a student is representing the University in an official capacity, as verified on a list released from the Office of the Provost, the instructor will not penalize the student for those absences. However, students should consult their instructor before anticipated absences.

Students who wish to have their instructors notified of a medical or family emergency necessitating their absence from classes, or who wish to provide documentation in support of a request for excused absences, make-up work, or grades of "W" or "I" due to an emergency, may contact the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. The Student Affairs staff will inform students about procedures, assist with communication to instructors, receive and file documentation, and advise students regarding their own self-advocacy; however, the final determination of excused absences, make-up classwork, and grading is determined by the instructor. Approved University Senate, 2010

How to access your Aplia course

Macro Spr2017


Instructor: Jessie Folk
Start Date: 01/10/2017
Course Key: 38ZS-SV8L-PAJU

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