Florida International University
Department of Economics
Summer-B 2009 ECO 3202-U03B: Applied Macroeconomics
Instructor: Dhimitri Qirjo
Class Time: Tue. & Thur. 9:30am–12:15am
Class Location: GL 100A
Office Location: DM 308A
Office Phone: 305-348-2316
Office Hours: Tue. & Thur. 8:00am–9:20am
Campus: University Park
E-mail: dqirj001@fiu.edu
Website: www.fiu.edu/~dqirj001
Course Objective:
Economics is the study of how societies decide to allocate scarce resources among
competing uses. Many of the choices we make are economic decisions, and many of our
interactions with others are influenced by economic institutions. Macroeconomics is the
branch of economics that studies the economic behavior of the entire economy.
Therefore, this course is concerned with the construction of macroeconomic theories that
can explain and predict variations in aggregative (economy-wide) variables, such as the
general price level, interest rates, growth rates, the exchange rates etc... The student
should become familiar with the following macroeconomic terms: business cycles,
inflation, unemployment, balance of trade, balance of payments, fiscal and monetary
policies, short-run instability and long-run growth. We will not only go over formal
theories related with the above macroeconomic terms, but will also demonstrate their
real-world applications.
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Required text
Macroeconomics, 6 ed., by Andrew B. Abel, Ben S. Bernanke and Dean Croushore,
Adison Wesley Publishers, 2008, ISBN 0-321-41554-X.
Texts can be purchased new at the University Park bookstore.
The Companion Website for the text is http://wps.aw.com/aw_abelbern_macroecon_6.
You might find very useful the companion website for practice quizzes.
Reading the textbook
While my lectures are fairly all-inclusive, time constraints do not allow us to go into all
of the detail necessary for this course. Therefore, reading the textbook is an excellent
preparation and learning tool. There will be times when my lecture material deviates
somewhat from the textbook (e.g., definitions, the way in which subjects are covered,
sequencing, etc.). If you are in doubt, constantly follow my lectures in class and come to
visit me during my office hours.
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Class Lectures
You are expected to attend each class. Just as reading the textbook will help you to learn
the material directly from the authors, attending class provides an opportunity for you to
gain a different perspective; both from the instructor and your fellow classmates. In
addition, valuable information about pop-quizzes, exams, and updates to the syllabus will
be announced in class.
Grading Policy
There will be two midterms and one comprehensive final exam. Numerous pop-quizzes
will be given to help everyone prepare for the exams. Class attendance is essential, for
the pop-quizzes and exams will be given in class. If you miss an exam with a valid
excuse, then the other exams will be reweighted. This goes only for the two midterms.
EVERYONE MUST TAKE THE FINAL EXAM.
Numerous pop-quizzes will be given, and the lowest pop-quiz grade will be dropped. If
you miss a quiz for whatever reason, then expect that quiz to be the one that is dropped.
NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES OR EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN.
Worth percentage of the course grade:
1)
Two midterms, each worth 20% of your grade.
2)
One final comprehensive exam worth 45% of your grade.
3)
Pop-quizzes worth the remaining 15% of your grade.
Course Policies
Courtesy: Please try to come in class on time and plan to attend for the entire
lecture. Please turn your cell phones and other electronic devices off prior to entering the
classroom and do not bring your laptop; you will not need it. Your attitude and
participation in classes will determine border grades.
Exam policies: No books, notes, problem sets, cell phones, BlackBerries, laptop
computers, nor any other materials may be consulted during exams. You may not wear
baseball caps, any other head gear, or iPods to the exam. You must also bring your
Student ID to the exam.
Make-up policy: It is important that each exam be taken at the scheduled time
and date. No late make-up exams will be given. A legitimate excuse (the inability to
leave work on time, oversleeping, lack of transportation, simple colds/headaches, fatigue,
and so forth do not qualify as legitimate excesses) will be needed to qualify for an early
make-up. A student who misses an exam should submit written documentation to qualify
for a „no-grade‟ in an exam.
Note: Any excusable absence must be documented by a verifiable source and I must be
notified at least one week prior to the exam. If you are absent from an exam due to illness
or emergency, you must notify me by e-mail within 24 hours after the exam, and
verifiable documentation is still required.
NO QUIZZES CAN BE MADE UP, EVER. One quiz will be dropped, so if you miss
one for an emergency, it may not have much affect, if any, on your grade.
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Grade Complaints: My grading system is 100% transparent. You can always
inquire about your grade standing at any time. If you wish to drop from the course, do so
before the deadlines. Pay attention to the following pleas (that the students usually use at
the end of the semester): 1) “I need a (insert grade) or else I will get kicked off the (insert
a sport) team”; 2) “I need a (insert grade) or else I will lose my scholarship or financial
aid”; 3) “I need a (insert grade) or else I will be expelled from (insert school, club, or
country)”. In each of these cases and others, no effort will be made to remedy the
situation while there was still ample time in the semester. As a result, I can only assign
the grade earned based on actual performance. FINAL GRADES ARE FINAL. They
are not negotiable. Final letter grades are available to students via PantherSoft and at
kiosks. Please do not request grades through e-mail, as they will not be provided.
Cheating: The University has an honor code to ensure the academic integrity at
FIU. Any student caught cheating on an exam or engaging in unethical behavior will
receive a grade of F for the course and the dean will be notified and asked to pursue
further action. (Be very careful: Cheating will not be tolerated; I take this matter very
seriously).
Important Dates
June 24
Classes Begin.
July 1
Last day to complete late registration. Drop/Add period ends
July 4
July 17
August 06
August 15
Independence Day Holiday (university closed).
Last day to drop with a DR grade.
Final Exam.
Grades available to students on web.
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Tentative Course Schedule (Subject to change)
Applied Macroeconomics: Chapters 1-4, 7-9, 11,12,14,15.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Appendix A: Some Useful Analytical Tools
Ch.1 Introduction to Macroeconomics
Ch. 2 The Measurement and Structure of the National Economy
Ch. 3 Productivity, Output and Employment
Ch. 4 Consumption, Saving, and Investment
Exam 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4. Then, lecture on Ch. 7
Ch. 8 Business Cycles
Ch. 9 The IS-LM/AD-AS Model: A general Framework for Macro. Analysis
Ch. 11 Keynesianism: The Macroeconomics of Wage and Price Rigidity
Exam 2: Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 11. Then, lecture on Ch. 12
Ch. 14 Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve System
Ch. 15 Government Spending and its Financing
Final Exam: Cumulative Exam
GOOD LUCK!
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