History 2112: Principles of Macroeconomics (3 credit hours)
Gordon College
Spring 2008
Section H1 CRN 226 Russell Hall 326 6:00pm-8:15pm W
Maggy Shannon
mshannon@gdn.edu
History Department phone number 770.358.5194
Text: Baumol & Blinder, Macroeconomics, 11th edition (10th edition is OK, too)
Text website: http://websites.swlearning.com/cgiwadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&flag=student&product_isbn
_issn=9780324537031&discipline_number=413
Instructor website: www.gdn.edu/faculty/mshannon
Course Description: Economics is the science of how humans manage to satisfy their
unlimited wants in a world of limited resources, or scarcity. There are two
main sub-disciplines: microeconomics (small economics) is the study of how
individuals, firms, and industries address scarcity. Macroeconomics, which
will be our area of enquery, is the science of how nations deal with scarcity.
Another way of putting it is this: how shall a nation maximize its wealth?
Topics explored will include, but not be limited to, scarcity, supply and
demand analysis, GDP, monetary theory and practice, unemployment,
taxation, inflation, and economic growth.
Instructor’s Responsibilities: You will oftentimes have questions when I’m not at school
and easy to catch. However, this is a minor inconvenience in the information
age: after all, we have email which is a marvelous way of keeping in touch.
Whenever you have a question, dash off a quick email and I’ll answer it as
quickly as I can. I prefer you send email to me at mshannon@gdn.edu. We
can also arrange to have a meeting or telephone call during the week if that
would be helpful as well. My main concern is that any confusion you may
develop in your studies be defeated well before it grows into something
serious. I really want you to contact me at the beginning of an issue before it
threatens your success in our class. And then, of course, when we meet for
class there will always be plenty of time for questions and discussion.
Students’ Responsibilities: A common question students ask is “what does the teacher
expect of me?” Here’s a list, in no particular order:
I expect you to read the assigned material before you come to class
I expect you to pay attention to the lecture or discussion in class
I expect you to arrive a few minutes ahead of schedule, so that you are prepared to begin
when I am
I expect you to treat your classmates with courtesy and respect
I expect you ask questions frequently
I expect you to seek help when you need it, rather than waiting until the last minute
I expect you to take notes in class and from your reading
I expect you to be honest
I expect you to work very hard
I expect you to make use of all the study helps and resources I show you
I expect you to have a positive attitude
I expect you to tell me what you need from me so that I can help make you successful!
Class Attendance Policy: Class attendance is both mandatory and a really good idea.
Lateness and early departure are really rude and distracting to your
classmates and to the instructor. Therefore, at the beginning of each session I
shall shut the door. Once I have done so, no one will be admitted and those
inside may not leave.
Academic Honesty: All students are required to read Gordon College’s student code of
conduct. All electronic devices must be turned off and put away at all times.
Any electronic device kept out during a graded assignment will be considered
evidence of academic dishonesty. The penalty for academic dishonesty
is failure in the course.
Assignments and exams: Exams are multiple-choice and true-false. They will be
machine graded. I will provide the forms, you must remember your pencil
and a good eraser.
There will be three exams in this course. Each is cumulative to the date of that exam.
The first two will be worth 30% (each) of your total course grade. The final
exam will be worth 40% of the total grade. All exams are cumulative to the
date of the exam, e.g., the final exam covers the entire course.
Summary of evaluation:
First Midterm exam: 30%
Second Midterm exam: 30%
Final exam: 40%
Grading Scale: A: 90%-100%, B: 80%-89%; C: 70%-79%; D: 60%-69%; F: 59% or lower
Missed exams: If truly extraordinary circumstances conspire to make it impossible for
you to sit for an exam, you must seek the instructor’s approval to miss the
exam at the earliest possible moment. If and only if the reason for missing
the midterm is found acceptable, the value of the final exam will be increased.
Missing the final exam will be handled on an individual basis.
Exam 1: January 30, 2008
Exam 2: February 27, 2008
Final Exams: TBA