Dr. Frederick's page
|Macroeconomics, by McConnell and Brue
15th edition (2002)
Published by McGraw-Hill/Irwin
|Introduction: Some graphs|
||Economic methods, basic questions
||Scarcity and choices,|
||Production Possibilities Curves|
||Demand and Supply
||Equilibrium between demand and supply
||The players in the economy: households, businesses, government|
||Measuring output and prices
||Business cycles: unemployment and inflation
||The components of aggregate expenditure
||Changes in equilibrium: The Keynesian multiplier
||Changes in equilibrium with government
||Including prices: Aggregate Supply and Aggregate Demand|
||Money and banking
||The Federal Reserve System
||The money multiplier
||Tools of monetary policy
||Effectiveness of monetary policy
||Deficits and Debt
Section 01 (TR at 11:00) Exam is 10:30 to 12:30
Section 02 (TR at 2:00) Exam is 1:00 to 3:00
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course offers an overall picture of the operation of our economy. The course focuses on how the economic system determines the level of national income, the unemployment rate, and the rate of inflation. Fiscal, monetary, and supply-side policies are discussed.
COURSE GOALS: The purpose of this course is to give you an understanding of the way that a market economy works. As a member of our society you will benefit from having a better perspective on the economic policies of federal, state, and local governments. This course explains the effects of taxes, government spending, the money supply, and exchange rates, on overall economic activity, unemployment, and inflation in a country.
GENERAL EDUCATION NOTE: This course is the second of two courses which
survey the social institutions we call our economic system. The perspective
of this course is that of the citizen or policymaker, not of the business
owner. As liberal arts course, it encourages the student to take
the broader view of business activities and to think critically and analytically.
************** INFORMATION BELOW THIS LINE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED YET **************
GRADING: Your grade for the course will be determined
by an average of four things: your the best three of your first for exam
scores and final exam score. The weights are as follows:
Letter grades will be assigned according to the weighted average on
the following scale.
In borderline cases (which I define as having a weighted average within one-half point of one of the numbers above), I will decide whether to give you the higher grade based on an apparent trend in your grades, the nature of your questions and comments during class, your attendance, and my subjectiveopinion of you as a student. You must have gotten the higher grade or better on an exam to receive the higher grade for the course.
EXAMS: There will be five exams during this course counting the Final Exam. These exams will include multiple-choice questions which may include rough (not verbatim) definitions, concepts, applications, or calculations. Make-up exams for the first four exams will not be allowed, but the lowest of the first four exam scores will be dropped. Make-up exams for the Final Exam will be allowed in cases of documented medical reasons, and death in your immediate family, or documented job conflicts. Make-ups for the Final Exam must be completed before the last day of classes of the Fall 2001 term.
EXERCISES: You should do the exercises indicated on the syllabus for each chapter after you read the chapter as a way of testing your knowledge. The exercises will not be graded, but we may occasionally discuss them in class. Do not tear pages from your textbook.
QUIZZES: I will occasionally give quizzes at the end of the class period. I will collect these quizzes but the scores from these quizzes will not affect your grade. That are learning exercises only.
ATTENDANCE: Attendance will not directly affect your grade. Regular attendance is expected, however. Last term, there was a noticeable correlation between attendance and the grade received. In border-line situations I may use attendance or class participation to determine whether you w