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SYLLABUS Econ 104 |
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SYLLABUS Econ 104 |
Take advantage of the additional resources! The textbook comes with an Active Learning CD (if it is a new copy) and a companion website. They highlight the most important points and have lots of practice problems. I encourage you to explore them and use the resources for each chapter to enhance your understanding of the issues we are discussing. On occasion I will assign specific internet exercises that all students are required to do.
All readings have to be done before the class for which they are assigned.
Sept 9, 11 Introduction to Economics: Theories and Tools
Readings CF: chs 1, 2, 3, & 4
Sept 16, 18, 23, 25 Macroeconomic Issues and Measurements
a) GDP: meaning and measurement
Readings CF: chs. 5 & 6
DS Articl 1, Jonathan Rowe "The Growth Consensus Unravels"
DS Article 2, John Miller "When is the Economy is a Recession?"
DS Article 5, "Counting Women's Home-based Work"
U.S. GDP and components: 1929-2002 (BEA-NIPA)
Relation between different output concepts (BEA)
b) Unemployment and inflation
Readings: CF: ch. 7
DS: Article 6, Bryan Snyder "What Are the Real Costs of Inflation"
c) Economic growth and productivity
Readings: CF: ch. 7, skim ch. 17
Income Distribution in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, P60-204)
Homework assignment for Oct 18th: Calculate real GDP and the real wage in the US between 1947 and 2000 (based on the data in this file).
Make three graphs: Graph 1 should show the development of nominal and real GDP; Graph 2 should show the development of the nominal and real wage; and Graph 3 should show the development of the real wage index.
Sept 30 First Exam
Oct 2, 7, 9 Aggregate Expenditures and Equilibrium Output
Readings CF: chs. 8, 16 (pp. 330-337), Ch. 20 (pp. 410-412)
DS: Article 14: Dean Baker "The 'Profits+Investment' Scam"
DS: Article 17: Ted Schmidt "Why have Savings Fallen?"
Oct 14 MID-SEMESTER BREAK
Oct 16, 21 The Federal Government and Fiscal Policy
Readings CF: chs. 9, 15 (pp. 306-315)
DS: Article 18: Robert Pollin "Is Big Government Really the Problem?"
DS: Article 22: John Miller "Still a Bad Idea - The Bush Tax Cut"
DS: Article 25: John Miller "The Surplus Vanished"
DS: Article 19: Ellen Frank "Social Security Q&A"
Oct 23rd Second Exam
Oct 28, 30 Money Supply and the Banking System
Readings CF: ch. 10
Nov 4 Money Demand and Equilibrium in the Money Market
Readings CF: ch. 11
Nov 6 Commodity Market, Money Market and Aggregate Demand
Readings CF: chs. 12, 13 (pp. 255-260)
Nov 11, 13 Labor Market and Aggregate Supply
Readings CF: chs. 13 (pp. 261-270), 14 (pp. 281-287)
National Data from The State of Working America 1998-99
Union Coverage in the United States, 1979-97
Nov 25th Take-home exam due at 3 pm (handed out on Nov 20th). No class.
Nov 27 Thanksgiving Recess
Nov 18, 20, Dec 2nd Macroeconomic Performance and Debates: Inflation, Unemployment, Growth and Distribution
Readings CF: ch. 13, pp. 271-276, ch. 14 (p. 287 onwards), chs. 17, 18
DS: Article 28: Doug Orr "Focus on the Fed"
DS: Article 30: Robert Pollin "Transforming the Fed"
DS: Article 33: Robert Pollin "The 'Natural Rate' of Unemployment"
DS: Article 36: John Miller "The Revenge of the Classics"
DS: Article 37: Ellen Frank "Life after Keynes"
The Phillips Curve: 1950-2000, 1961-69, 1990-2000,
Dec 4, 9, 11 The Domestic Economy in a Global Context
Readings CF: ch. 20
DS: Article 41: Jessica Collins "Know-Nothings and Know-it-Alls"
DS: Article 48: Lisa Climan "On a Fast Track to 'Free Trade Hell"
