ECONOMICS 142-03: PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS (MWF, 10:20 – 11:15, ASB 114)
Fall 2002
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Office Phone:
e-mail:
Derek Berry
ASB 309
Tuesday and Thursday, 9:45-10:45. Wednesday, 1:00-2:00. Note that these
are official office hours. I will be in the office much of each day. You are
welcome to stop by anytime, or schedule an explicit appointment if the official
hours are not convenient for you.
824-5674
berryd@email.uah.edu
REQUIRED TEXT: Economics: Principles and Policy (9th ed.) by William J. Baumol and Alan S. Blinder.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Introduction to macroeconomic analysis concentrating on national income,
economic growth, inflation, unemployment, monetary and fiscal policies, and international trade. My
real hope for this class is that you gain a basic understanding of macroeconomic concepts and thinking
skills, especially as they relate to the media and the political system.
COURSE OUTLINE:
I.
Introduction to Economics
 What is economics?
 Scarcity, THE economic problem.
 Supply and demand.
II.
Introduction to Macroeconomics
 Macroeconomic measurement issues.
 Macroeconomic policy goals.
TEST I HERE
III.
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Equilibrium and Changes in the Macroeconomy
 Income and spending.
 Equilibrium on the demand side of the economy.
 Multiplier analysis.
 Equilibrium on the supply side of the economy.
TEST II HERE
IV.
Economic Policy Tools
 Fiscal policy analysis.
 Origin of “money” and the U.S. banking system.
 Monetary policy analysis.
 Budget deficits and surpluses.
 Economic policy mix.
V.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 31.
Chapters 30 & 31.
TEST III HERE
Additional Topics


International trade.
Chapter 33
Exchange rates.
Chapter 34
 Economic policy in an open economy.
Chapter 35.
 Economic growth.
Chapter 23.
FINAL EXAM: Monday, December 9, 2002; 8:00 - 10:30 a.m.

This schedule is tentative and may be adjusted as the summer progresses. Due notice of any change will be given in class.
TESTS & GRADES: 10 point homework assignments and short quizzes will be given to gauge your
comprehension of the material before an exam. You may drop your lowest homework or quiz grade. If
you miss a quiz or assignment, however, it is your responsibility to find out BEFORE the next class
meeting. In order to receive full credit for your quiz (or homework), it must be turned in with the rest
of the class (or earlier) on the day it is due. Quizzes (and homework assignments) may be turned in up
to one class meeting after the official due date with a 2 point penalty. The late policy does not apply to
cases where a key is given out or quiz answers are announced the day the assignment or quiz is turned
in. Finally, to receive credit for a quiz, you must turn in a copy of the quiz. I will NOT accept answers
written on a regular sheet of paper, e-mailed answers, etc.
There will be three exams and a comprehensive final. The tests will consist of multiple choice and
short-answer questions to test your knowledge of terms and concepts AND discussion questions that
will require the application of material presented in class to analytical situations. There also may be
some computational problems using formulae and identities from the class.
There will be NO makeup exams given. If a regular semester exam is missed for any reason, the final
exam will take its place. If you have a legitimate and unavoidable (both determined by me) reason for
missing a scheduled exam, we may be able to work out a time for you to take the test early. This,
however, is not guaranteed. Note, only one exam may be missed. DO NOT miss the final exam!
Each in-class exam will be worth 22% of your grade, the final will count 28%, and homework and
quizzes will account for the remaining 6%. Your final grade will be based on a typical 90, 80, 70, 60
scale. Please note there is no longer an “F” grade in this class. Students who fail to earn a grade of 60
will receive a grade of “NC” (no credit). This designation has no effect on GPA.
ATTENDANCE: Although it will not explicitly affect your grade, regular attendance likely will contribute to
your understanding and performance. In addition, I do not follow the book exactly. In cases where the
book and I disagree, I strongly recommend you adopt my methodology. I realize many of you have
families, jobs, etc. In economics, however, we learn there is a cost to everything. Deciding to attend
college means you will have less time for other things. Some days the other things may take
precedence, but you need to put in the extra time and effort to make up for what you missed in class. "I
wasn't in class that day," is not a sufficient excuse for not knowing the material. I hate to sound harsh,
but ultimately this is your responsibility. I will be glad to help you find out what you missed, but you
have to initiate the procedure.
BEHAVIOR: While the choice to attend class each day is yours, once in class I expect you to maintain a
certain level of decorum. Please turn off cell phones and pagers. Please refrain from excessive talking
with other students. Try to make it to class on time. If you are going to be a distraction to me and/or
the other students, just stay home! Also, keep up with your grades and performance. If you are having
trouble, come see me early. There is nothing I can do at the end of the semester. No sympathy points
or extra credit will be given.
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS: If you require special accommodations due to a documented (by the
Office of Student Development Services, 824-6203) condition, please let me know as soon as possible.
All reasonable effort will be made to meet your needs.
ACADEMIC HONESTY: Plagiarism and other forms of cheating are subject to penalties as outlined in the
Student Handbook.