ECON 2301
PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS
SECTION 06528
FALL 2007
RIO GRANDE CENTER RM A-251
MW 10:35-11:50
AM
INSTRUCTOR:
James Hill
Phone: 512-396-9244 (home)
E-Mail: jthill1@yahoo.com (jthillone)
ACC Web site: www.austincc.edu/jhill
Office hours: MW 12-1 PM in PB #1
Conferences: By appointment
TEXT:
Mankiw, PRINCIPLES of MACROECONOMICS,
4th Edition, 2007
COURSE
DESCRIPTION:
Principles of Macroeconomics deals with
consumers and producers as a whole, the effects of government spending and
taxation policies, and the effects of the Federal Reserve Bank’s monetary policy.
Macroeconomics is concerned with unemployment, inflation, and the business
cycle.
COURSE
RATIONALE:
This course is meant to give students
insight into the dynamics of our national economy. The knowledge gained will
make students better informed citizens and allow them to follow the debates
over national economic policy reported in the news media. This course is also a
foundation course that will prepare students to be successful in upper division
finance, marketing, business, economics, government, and social work courses.
Course
Objectives / Student Outcomes
Students who complete this course will
be able to understand:
-the
meaning of unemployment and inflation data and how that data is
collected and computed;
-the
meaning and components of national income accounts, especially GDP;
-the
meaning of the business cycle and its stages;
-the
basic aggregate demand / supply model of the macro economy;
-how
fiscal policy operates, its tools, and its advantages and drawbacks;
-how
a fractional reserve banking system works;
-how
monetary policy operates, its tools, and its advantages and drawbacks
INSTRUCTIONAL
METHODOLOGY:
Lecture and class participation with
discussion of text material, text
end-of-chapter questions, instructor’s
handouts, and current events. It
is essential that the student read the
assigned reading material PRIOR
to
attending class in order to be academically prepared for the quizzes,
lectures, and the class discussions.
GRADE
DETERMINATION (as a per cent of a total of 460 points):
90-100 = A 80-89
= B 70-79 = C
60-69 = D < 60 = F
Final grade will be determined as follows, based on
a total possible 460 points:
1. 4 multiple-choice exams,
each worth 100 points for a total of 400 pts.
2. 60 points based on class attendance.
A
max of 30 additional extra credit points will be given based on extra credit
work.
All
exams will be multiple choice with a max of 4 possible answers. A student can
take a makeup exam if (s)he earns less than a 50% on the regular scheduled
exam. After successfully passing the make-up exam the final recorded grade for
that exam will not exceed 60%. Students who miss scheduled exams will not be
given make-up exams unless PRIOR arrangements are made or the instructor is
informed of the missed exam IMMEDIATELY.
(The
defining of IMMEDIATELY will be determined by the professor.)
All
grades will be posted on ACC Blackboard which every student has access to. The
professor will not carry grades to class except for the class immediately
following an exam. It is the student’s responsibility to know what his or her
grade is at all times.
COURSE/CLASS
POLICIES:
All
ACC guidelines and policies as outlined in the student handbook and the college
catalog will be followed (scholastic dishonesty, withdrawals, incomplete grades,
etc.) Concerning freedom of expression, each student is strongly encouraged to
participate in class. In any classroom situation that includes discussion and
critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. These
differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where
students and professors alike will be encouraged to think and learn. On sensitive and volatile topics, students
may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the professor. Regardless, all views and comments will be respected
when expressed in classroom discussions.
Attendance
will be taken. Students are expected to attend class and participate. Excused
absences will be accepted if it is annotated on a timely basis. (The definition
of timely will be determined by the professor.)
Scholastic
Dishonesty:
Acts
prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include
scholastic dishonesty, to include but not limited to cheating on an exam or
quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing
outside work. Academic work submitted by
students shall be the result of their own thought, research or
self-expression. Academic work is
defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or
on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and
homework. If a student participates in
scholastic dishonesty, the student will be dropped and a grade of F will be
recorded.
Students
with disabilities:
Each
ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or
psychological special needs. Such students
must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with
Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their
classes. Students are encouraged to do
this three weeks before the start of the semester.
CLASS SCHEDULE: (NOTE: THIS CLASS SCHEDULE IS A GUIDELINE. IT WILL BE
ONLY CHANGED AS NEEDED
AS THE SEMESTER PROGRESSES.
Date Chapter / Exams
Aug
27 Intro
29 1
Sep 5
2
10 2
& 3
12 3
17 4
19 4
24 Exam
#1 (Ch’s 1-4)
26 5
Oct 1 5
3
6
8 7
10 8
15
Exam #2 (Ch’s 5-8)
17 10
22 10
& 11
24 11
& 12
29 12
31
12 & 13
Nov 5
13
7 15
12 Exam #3 (Ch’s 10-13,15)
14 16
19 16
21
17
26 17
28 20
Dec 3
20
5 21
10 21
12 Exam #4 (Ch’s 16,17,20,21)