MICROECONOMICS Professor Daniel Lin ECON 200-002 (3 credits) Spring 2009 Hurst 208 M & Th 9:55 – 11:10 AM E-mail: dlin@american.edu Phone: 703-593-6974 Office: Roper Hall 117 Office Hours: M Th 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM OBJECTIVES ECON 200 is a survey course in microeconomic theory. Whereas macro-economics is the study of the economy as a whole, micro-economics is the study of individual economic actors and their decision-making processes. It seeks to explain how people make choices and how these choices affect market outcomes. We will discover how prices are formed and how these prices help to allocate scarce resources among competing uses. We will learn how markets can work efficiently and how markets can fail. We will cover topics such as supply and demand, welfare analysis, externalities, public goods, firm behavior, industrial organization, and political behavior. I will show that the same basic economic forces are at work in a wide variety of settings. Have you wondered why apartments are so hard to find in New York City? Why buffalo are endangered but cows are not? Why popcorn costs so much at movie theaters? Why airlines charge so many different prices for seats on the same flight? Why people know more about laundry detergent than about politics? Microeconomics will help you answer these questions. GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM This course is one of nine second-level courses in Cluster 1 of Curricular Area 4 (Social Institutions and Behavior) in the University’s General Education Program. It is the second of a two-course sequence. For students who have taken one of the foundation courses (COMM 100, ECON 100, GOVT 110, or SOCY 150), this course satisfies the General Education requirements for Cluster 1 of Curricular Area 4. More information about the General Education Program is available online at www.gened.american.edu. READINGS Textbook – Principles of Microeconomics, 4th edition by N. Gregory Mankiw Articles – Posted on Blackboard 1 of 5 PREREQUISITES There are no prerequisites for this course – other than a curious mind, a willingness to talk, and a tuition check that does not bounce. WRITING ASSIGNMENTS There will be THREE writing assignments; the details of each will be announced in class and on Blackboard. Each assignment will be due at the beginning of class on the following dates: Assignment 1: Thursday, February 5 Assignment 2: Thursday, March 19 Assignment 3: Thursday, April 23 Late assignments will not be accepted and will receive the lowest possible grade. EXAMS There will be THREE exams; each will have multiple-choice and short-answer questions about the readings and the lectures. Each exam will focus on material covered since the previous exam. Each exam will take place in this classroom at the following dates and times: Exam 1: Thursday, February 12 Exam 2: Thursday, March 26 Exam 3: Thursday, April 30 9:55 – 11:10 AM 9:55 – 11:10 AM 9:30 – 10:45 AM If you miss an exam, you must provide an acceptable reason and relevant documentation in a timely manner. We will schedule a make-up exam that will be MORE DIFFICULT. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in zero points for the missed exam. GRADING Writing Assignments. “unsatisfactory.” Each assignment will earn a grade of “excellent,” “satisfactory,” or A grade of “excellent” means 5 points will be added to your next exam A grade of “satisfactory” means 0 points will be added to your next exam A grade of “unsatisfactory” means 5 points will be subtracted from your next exam 2 of 5 Extra Credit. Occasionally, I will offer extra-credit opportunities in lecture. I will ask a question based on recently discussed concepts and give extra-credit points to students with good answers. You can earn a maximum of 1 extra-credit point in any class meeting. You can apply a maximum of 3 extracredit points to your next exam. Exams. Exams are curved. For each exam, I will add points to everyone’s exam until the average score is 75%. After adjusting for the curve, the writing assignment, and extra credit, each exam will be assigned a grade on the following scale: 93 – 100% A 90 – 92% A- 87 – 89% B+ 83 – 86% B 80 – 82% B- 77 – 79% C+ 73 – 76% C 70 – 72% C- 60 – 69% D 0 – 59% F Errors. If you find a grading error on your exam, bring the error to my attention. Requests for corrections must be made within ONE WEEK of the graded exam’s return to the class. Weightings. Your course grade will be based on a weighted average of your exams, after adjusting for curves, writing assignments, and extra credit. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS. Lowest exam Higher exam Higher exam 20% of course grade 40% of course grade 40% of course grade ACADEMIC INTEGRITY CODE Standards of academic conduct are set forth in the University’s Academic Integrity Code, which is available online at www.american.edu/academics/integrity/code.htm. By registering, you have acknowledged your awareness of the Code, and you are obliged to become familiar with your rights and responsibilities as defined by the Code. Violations of the Code will not be treated lightly, and disciplinary actions will be taken should such violations occur. Please see me if you have any questions about the academic violations described in the Code. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Students who require academic accommodations due to documented disabilities should see me as soon as possible and contact Disability Support Services. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the DSS. More information is available online at www.american.edu/ocl/dss. 3 of 5 EXPECTATIONS Even though I post the lecture slides and do not take attendance, this is not distance learning. If you want a good grade, it is important to attend the lectures. I will use the lecture time to elaborate on the readings and introduce related ideas. You will be responsible for knowing all of it for the exams. Please provide a proper learning environment – turn off your cell phone, avoid repeated tardiness, and be courteous to other students. If you wish to make a comment, you should raise your hand. If you repeatedly disrupt the class, I will subtract points from your next exam. If you are confused by the lectures or disappointed by an exam grade, you should approach me promptly for help. Improving your performance may be a time-consuming process that requires many meetings. If you wait until the last minute to seek help, there may be nothing I can do. COURSE OUTLINE Readings that refer to chapters are from the Mankiw textbook. Other readings are online, and you can find their links on Blackboard. TOPICS FOR EXAM 1 Mankiw Mankiw Mankiw Mankiw Mankiw Krugman Mankiw Ch. 1: Ten Principles of Economics Ch. 4: Market Forces of Supply and Demand Ch. 5: Elasticity Ch. 6: Supply, Demand, and Government Policies Ch. 18: Markets for the Factors of Production In Praise of Cheap Labor Ch. 19: Earnings and Discrimination TOPICS FOR EXAM 2 Mankiw Mankiw Mankiw Mankiw Mankiw Caplan Caplan Ch. 7: Efficiency of Markets Ch. 8: Application: Costs of Taxation Ch. 9: Application: International Trade Ch. 10: Externalities Ch. 11: Public Goods and Common Resources Rational Ignorance Rational Irrationality 4 of 5 TOPICS FOR EXAM 3 Mankiw Economist Mankiw Mankiw Mankiw Tollison Mankiw Ch. 22: Frontiers in Microeconomics Signal Failure Ch. 13: Costs of Production Ch. 14: Competitive Markets Ch. 15: Monopoly Markets Rent Seeking Ch. 16: Oligopoly Markets 5 of 5