Money and Banking
Economics 121 –Fall 2005
George Washington University
FYI
Instructor: Chao Wei
Office: Old Main 213
Office Hours: MF 2:45pm – 3:45 pm, and other times by appointment
Course Website: home.gwu.edu/~cdwei/econ121.html
Email: cdwei@gwu.edu
Phone: (202) 994-2374
Required Textbook
Mishkin, F.S. [2006]. The Economics of Money, Banking, and Financial
Markets, Seventh edition Update, Addison-Wesley.
Recommended Workbook
Eschker, E, McArthur J. and F. Mishkin [2006], Study Guide and Workbook,
Addison-Wesley.
Recommended Website
The Mishkin Web site, located at www.aw.com/mishkin features self-testing
quizzes for each chapter, a weekly study of current events and annually
updated readings on money, banking and financial markets.
Course Requirements
There will be 3 or 4 required homework assignments and optional
assignments. There will be 2 midterm exams, tentatively scheduled for mid
October and mid-November. There will be a final exam that will be
accumulative but more heavily weighted toward the material covered at the
end of the semester.
Grades
The two midterm exams will count 25% each, the homework 15%, and the
final exam 35%.
Course Outline and Tentative Schedule
From the first class to mid-October, we will cover Chapters 1 through 7. In
these chapters, we will discuss the importance of understanding financial
markets, understand the behavior of interest rates, and study how the market
set stock prices.
From mid-October to mid-November, we will cover Chapters 8 through 13.
We will conduct an economic analysis of financial structure, banking
regulation, and financial derivatives.
From mid-November to the end of the semester, we will cover Chapters 14
through 18 on the determination of money supply and conduct of monetary
policy.
Course Policy
1. To be fair for all students, I do NOT give extra credit for any work which
is not a requirement for all students in class. Please do NOT request
differential treatment as a way to boost your grades.
2. I allow rescheduling of exams only under EXTRAODINARY
circumstances. Any request to reschedule the midterm exams must be
made within one week of the announcement of the exam date. In case of
rescheduling the exam, you must take the exam before the scheduled date.
3. If severe medical conditions or any catastrophic events prevent you from
taking the exam on the exam date, you must provide me with
documentation confirming your illness or proving the occurrence of those
events to qualify for a makeup exam. You must take the makeup exam
within one week of the original exam date, or receive a 0 for the exam.
4. Students may work together but each must submit his or her own
homework. All late homework assignments are subject to a 10% penalty,
with the exception that those late for more than 24 hours are subject to a
50% penalty. Late homework will not be accepted after the answer key to
the assignment is made available to the class.