Econ 202 (Section 505): Principles of Economics
Fall 2015 Syllabus
Lectures:
TR 8:00 am - 9:15 am
HECC 207
Instructor:
Xinghua Long
leoxhlong@ tamu.edu
Office Hours:
TR 10:00 am - 11:30 am or by appointment
Allen 3043
Course Description and Prerequisites: Microeconomics is the study of individual behavior,
that of households, businesses and government units, and how they interact. In this course we
will cover several aspects of this behavior, including scarcity and choice, opportunity cost,
demand and supply, consumer behavior, firm behavior in perfect and imperfect markets, and
additional topics as time permits. There is no prerequisite in this course.
Course Objectives: This course aims to introduce some basic concepts and theorems of modern
microeconomics. Upon completion of this course, you are expected to be able to analyze
economic phenomena and to make economic decisions.
Required Textbook: Hubbard & O'Brien, Microeconomics plus new MyEconLab with Pearson
eText (1-semester access) -- Access Card Package, 5th Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2015.
Homework Assignments: You have ten online homework assignments through MyEconLab.
Each assignment accounts for 2 points. The expected due day for each homework is listed in the
table below. No late homework will be graded, i.e., you will receive zero point for late or unsubmitted homework, unless you have a verifiable medical problem. If you want to submit a late
homework, you have to talk to me face-to-face, and tell me your name and email address if you
are allowed to summit the late homework. Please take your homework assignments seriously
because they are the best means for you to prepare for the exams. The MyEconLab course ID is:
long47723. For more information about how to use MyEconLab, please see the attached Student
Registration Instructions.
Exams: There are three non-comprehensive in-class closed-book exams in this course. Each
exam accounts for 50 points. Each exam consists of 50 equally-weighted multiple choice
questions. To each exam, you should bring: a gray ( 8.5 by 11) scantron, a #2 pencil, an eraser,
your student ID, and a non-programmable calculator if you wish. Exam dates are: Exam 1 September 29; Exam 2 - October 29; Exam 3 - December 3.
Make-up Policy: Students who miss an exam may be allowed to take a makeup exam if it
conforms to University Regulations. Makeup exams will be different from regularly scheduled
exams. If you missed an exam, you must satisfy all of the following requirements in order to take
a makeup exam:
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1. You missed the exam due to illness or other university-excused absence.
2. You must provide a satisfactory evidence to substantiate the reason for missing exam.
3. You must notify me before the exam or within next 48 hours after the exam. The
easiest way to notify me is via email at leoxhlong@ tamu.edu.
Please see http://student-rules.tamu.edu/rule07 for more detailed information. Students who miss
the exam and do not meet each of the three requirements above will get a score of zero for the
exam.
Attendance: Your attendance in class is very important for your understanding of this course.
There will be several randomly picked attendance checks. You will receive 5 bonus points if you
attend all randomly picked classes, 4 points if you miss one, 3 points if you miss two, 2 points if
you miss three, 1 point if you miss four and 0 point if you miss five or more.
Grades: Your grade will be exclusively determined by (your total homework grade) + (your
total exam grade) + (your attendance bonus points). The total possible points to earn is 175.
Course grades will be determined by your total points:
150-175 points = A,
132-149.9 points = B,
115-131.9 points = C,
100-114.9 points = D,
0-99.9 points = F.
Extra credit will not be available. Grade issues cannot be discussed by phone or email.
eCampus and Online Materials: syllabus, PowerPoint slides, exam grades, other teaching
materials, and all announcements will be posted on eCampus. Please check your eCampus
announcements and your neo.tamu.edu mail regularly.
ADA Notice: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute
that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other
things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning
environment that provides for reasonably accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you
have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Department of Student Services,
Services for Students with Disabilities, in Cain Hall, or call 845-1637.
Academic Integrity: "An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do.” Upon
accepting admission to Texas A&M, a student immediately assumes a commitment to uphold the
Honor Code, to accept responsibility for learning, and to follow the philosophy and rules of the
Honor System. Students will be required to state their commitment on examinations, research
papers, and other academic work. Ignorance of the rules does not exclude any member of the
TAMU community from the requirements or the processes of the Honor System. For additional
information please visit www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor/
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Course Topics, Calendar of Activities, Homework Assignment Due Day:
Date
Topic
SEP 1
SEP 3
SEP 8
Economics: Foundations and Models
Tradeoffs, Comparative Advantage, and the Market System
Tradeoffs, Comparative Advantage, and the Market System
Where Prices Come From: The Interaction of Demand and
Supply
Where Prices Come From: The Interaction of Demand and
Supply
Economic Efficiency, Government Price Setting, and Taxes
Economic Efficiency, Government Price Setting, and Taxes
Exam 1 Review
Exam 1
Externalities, Environmental Policy, and Public Goods
Elasticity: The Responsiveness of Demand and Supply
Elasticity: The Responsiveness of Demand and Supply
Consumer Choice and Behavioral Economics
Consumer Choice and Behavioral Economics
Technology, Production, and Costs
Technology, Production, and Costs
Exam 2 Review
Exam 2
Firms in Perfectly Competitive Markets
Firms in Perfectly Competitive Markets
Monopoly
Monopoly
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Pricing Strategy
Exam 3 Review
Exam 3
SEP 10
SEP 15
SEP 17
SEP 22
SEP 24
SEP 29
OCT 1
OCT 6
OCT 8
OCT 13
OCT 15
OCT 20
OCT 22
OCT 27
OCT 29
NOV 3
NOV 5
NOV 10
NOV 12
NOV 17
NOV 19
NOV 24
DEC 1
DEC 3
3
Required
Reading
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Homework
due day
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
HW 1 for ch.2
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
HW 2 for ch.3
HW 3 for ch.4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
HW 4 for ch.5
HW 5 for ch.6
HW 6 for ch.10
HW 7 for ch.11
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Chapter 16
HW 8 for ch.12
HW 9 for ch.15
HW10 for ch.14
Pearson's MyLab & Mastering
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Scroll down to Need a little help? and select a video.