William Rainey Harper College

MACROECONOMICS

IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

SYLLABUS

Fall 2009
~/~ Home ~/~ Syllabus ~/~ Schedule ~/~ Lecture Outlines ~/~ Assignments ~/~ Textbook Website ~/~ Online Lectures ~/~ Blackboard ~/~
 

GENERAL INFORMATION

TEXTS
  • Macroeconomics by Campbell R. McConnell, Brue, and Flynn, 18th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009

 

  • Study Guide to Accompany Macroeconomics by McConnell, Brue, Flynn, and Walstad.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Almost every day we hear news reports of economic problems and successes from around the world. All over the world, countries are undertaking economic reforms (often called GLOBALIZATION or STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT POLICIES) that their leaders believe will provide their citizens with lower unemployment and higher living standards.

This course will cover the area of economics commonly defined as macroeconomics. The main goal of macroeconomics is to gain a better understanding of the causes of, and remedies for, UNEMPLOYMENT and INFLATION, as well as the factors that affect ECONOMIC GROWTH (unemployment, inflation, and economic growth).

We will study these macroeconomic issues in an international context to try to understand the economic reforms many countries are undertaking.

 

BLACKBOARD

All students must log-in to our Blackboard website, study the syllabus, and take the required 5-point, online, "Syllabus Quiz" on, or before Thursday, 9/3.
  • Go to http://harper.blackboard.com
  • Follow the instructions to "log-in",
    • If you need help see the following on the Blackboard opening page:
      • "Getting Started with Blackboard"
      • "Student Blackboard Technical Support"
  • You should see "ECO 212 007 - MACROECONOMICS (Healy Fall 2009)"
    • If you do not please e-mail the instructor: mhealy@harpercollege.edu 

E-MAIL

Option to Forward New Harper Email Account

If you are not planning on using your new Harper email account, please view the instructions on how to forward that account to one you check frequently. Visit http://harper.blackboard.com and check out "How do I forward my Harper email?" in the "Getting Started with Blackboard" area.

GRADING

The final grade for the class will be awarded according to the following point system. Changes may be made to this grading polity. All changes will be announced in class and posted on the class web page. 

ACTIVITY

INFORMATION

POINTS

1 syllabus quiz

5 points, must be taken online at: http://harper.blackboard.com/

5 points

5 in-class quizzes

10 multiple choice questions, 1 point each each, best 4 of 5 counted

40 points

3 unit exams

40 multiple choice questions each *

120 points

Final Exam

80 multiple choice questions, COMPREHENSIVE

80 points

TOTAL: 245 POINTS
* Each of the three unit exams will also have an extra credit essay question worth about 3 points

Letter grades will be awarded as follows:
90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C, 60%=D, below 60%=F

MAKE-UP POLICY

Exams:
Students will be allowed to take an exam at a time other than the scheduled class period only IF:
1. the instructor is notified BEFORE the scheduled exam time AND
2. the student has a very good reason to miss the exam at the scheduled time.

Quizzes:

Since only four of the five quizzes will be included in the final point total, there should be little need to take a quiz at a time other than the scheduled class time.

COURSE OUTLINE: MACROECONOMICS IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

  • The exact reading assignments can be found at: Assignments

    UNIT 1 - WHAT IS ECONOMICS and GLOBALIZATION

    Part 1 Why is the World Moving to Capitalism?

    • Ch 1

      Introduction to Efficiency and to the Study of Economics

      Ch. 2

      An Introduction to the Global Economy

    Part 2 How Capitalism Works

    • Ch. 3

      Efficiency and Markets: Supply and Demand

      Ch. 4

      The Role of Government in a Market Economy

      Ch. 5, 20

      Efficiency, Specialization, and Exchange (Trade)

    UNIT 2 - INTRODUCTION TO MACROECONOMICS

    • Ch. 12

      A Model of the Macro Economy: AS and AD

      Ch. 6

      An Introduction to Macroeconomics

      Ch. 9

      Business Cycles: Unemployment and Inflation

      Ch. 7

      Measuring Domestic Output

      Ch. 8

      Economic Growth

      Ch 22 W*

      The Economics of Developing Economies
      * Chapter 22W is online at:

    UNIT 3- -MACROECONOMIC POLICY

    • Ch. 10, 13

      Fiscal Policy

      Ch. 14-16

      Monetary Policy

    NOTE: This outline may be changed! All changes will be posted on the Blackboard announcements, announced in class, and sent via e-mail.

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Class attendance is strongly recommended, but not required. Former students have indicated that the material covered in class is very helpful at the time of the examinations.

HOW TO PASS ECONOMICS

This is a difficult course! There is an old rule of thumb concerning studying for college courses: on average students should study TWO hours for every ONE hour of class. This is an average, which means some courses require more study time and some less. You may find that economics requires MORE.

The following suggestions should help you learn economics:

  1. Passive reading of the textbook is not very helpful. Read with a pen in your hand and a notebook on which to list, repeat, copy, calculate, etc. ALSO, pay close attention to the TABLES and GRAPHS. THEY ARE IMPORTANT.
  2. Attend class. Your instructor will review the material from the textbook, add additional material, and answer questions. Come to class with your questions and problems. While in class TAKE NOTES and lots of them! We will go fast. If you want something repeated, ASK.
  3. Do problems. The "assignments" web page lists the assigned problems from the textbook and Study Guide. DO THEM ALL. If you can't do a problem ask about it in class or you will do poorly on the quizzes and exams.
  4. When doing the multiple choice questions in the Study Guide, it is suggested that you do NOT circle the answers in the book. Rather, write the letter of the answer that you selected on a separate sheet of paper. There are two reasons for doing this: (1) it is easier to grade them since all answers are listed together at the end of the Study Guide chapters, and (2) by not writing in the study guide you can go over the questions again and again without having the correct (or incorrect) answers already marked.
  5. See the instructor for assistance. This should be done EARLY in the semester. The Tutoring Center also offers help.
  6. Keep up. It is easy to get behind. To get a good grade you will have to devote a significant amount of out of class time to studying economics. If you get behind there simply will not be enough time.
  7. Try to APPLY the concepts learned in class to the "real world" including issues in the news and aspects of your personal life.

 

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT DATES

The following dates are TARGETS only. THEY CAN BE CHANGED!. Any changes will be announced in class at least one week before the scheduled date of the quiz, exam, or paper and posted on the internet.

SYLLABUS QUIZ

Thur., 9/3

Take the 5-point Syllabus Quiz at: http://harper.blackboard.com/

QUIZ 1

Tue., 9/15

Ch. 1 and 2:
(5Es, Economic Systems, and Structural Adjustment Programs )

QUIZ 2

Thur., 9/24

Chapter 3: Supply and Demand

QUIZ 3

Thur., 10/1

Chapter 5/20: Trade

EXAM 1

Tue., 10/13

Unit 1

QUIZ 4

Thur., 10/29

Chapter 12: AS / AD

EXAM 2

Thur., 11/12

Unit 2

|

Sat., 11/14

LAST DAY TO DROP A CLASS

QUIZ 5

Thur., 12/3

Chapters 14 and 15: Money Creation

EXAM 3

Thur., 12/10

Unit 3

FINAL EXAM
[FINAL EXAM SHEDULE]

Tue., 12/17, 9:55-11:40 a.m.

Comprehensive (Cumulative)