ECONOMICS 202-004: PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS
Fall 2009 – CRN 82038, LEC 004
TTh 11:30 – 12:45
Classroom: G24 Eiesland.
http://www.be.wvu.edu/divecon/econ/douglas
email: sdouglas@mix.wvu.edu
Professor Stratford Douglas
Office 416 B&E, 304-293-7863
Office Hours:
W 2:00 – 5:00; TTh 4:00 – 5:00
OR BY APPOINTMENT
TEACHING ASSISTANT: Sara Huang, sara.huang@mail.wvu.edu, 304-293-7947, 262L B&E Bldg.
TA Office Hours TTh 9:30 – 11:00 AM
COURSE OBJECTIVES: You will learn basic facts and analytical methods for understanding economic growth, booms
and recessions, inflation, unemployment, GDP, the banking system, exchange rates, and how government policy
affects the economy. Obtain a richer understanding of key issues facing you as a participant and voter
in the world’s pre-eminent nation and economy in a time of economic crisis and change.
PREREQUISITE: ECONOMICS 201. If you haven’t taken Econ 201 you will be dropped from this class. I’m sorry,
there’s nothing I can do about this. For questions about enrolling, see Karen Smith in B&E 419.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Aplia Interactive Online Courseware (www.aplia.com). Weekly homework exercises. 20% of your grade.
Textbook: N. Gregory Mankiw, BRIEF PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS 5th ed. is most recent.
The text is available online as part of the Aplia package. You do not need to purchase a physical
copy of the textbook unless you want one. Any edition of the book will do.
iClicker: (iclicker.com) Classroom interactive hardware. In each class I will ask some questions that you’ll
discuss with classmates and answer using your iClicker. Software will keep track of your responses.
SCHEDULE: Exam dates are firm; subjects covered on particular days may be adjusted as necessary.
There will also be short online supplemental readings assigned as necessary.
August 24:
Review: Thinking Like An Economist, Chapter 2 and Appendix.
Aug 26, 31, Sept 2:
Review: Supply and Demand, Chapter 4.
September 7, 9:
Macro Data: Measuring National Income. Chapter 5.
September 14, 16:
Macro Data: Measuring the Cost of Living. Chapter 6.
September 21, 23:
Long Run Real Economy: Production and Growth. Chapter 7.
September 28, 30:
Long Run Real Economy: Unemployment and its Natural Rate. Chapter 10.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5: FIRST MIDTERM EXAM
(Chapters 2, 4–7, and 10)
October 7, 12:
Long Run Real Economy: Saving, Investment, & the Financial System. Chapter 8.
October 14, 19:
Long Run Real Economy: The Basic Tools of Finance. Chapter 9.
October 21, 26, 28:
Long Run Money & Price: The Monetary System & Banking. Chapter 11.
November 2, 4:
Long Run Money & Price: Money Growth and Inflation. Chapter 12.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9: SECOND MIDTERM EXAM (Chapters 2, 4-12 & readings; emphasis on 8, 9, 11, 12)
November 11, 16, 18: Open Economies: Open-Economy Macro: Basic Concepts. Chapter 13.
Nov 30, Dec 2:
Short Run Fluctuations: Aggregate Demand & Supply. Chapter 15.
December 7, 9:
Short Run Fluctuations: Monetary & Fiscal Policy. Chapter 16.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 13: FINAL EXAM, 3:00 to 5:00 PM (All chapters & readings; emphasis on chapters 13, 15,16).
GRADING:
Two Midterms (weighted 45% total), Cumulative Final Exam (35% weight)
Aplia Online Homework (20%),
iClicker In-Class Participation (10%).
 Grades are based entirely on exam scores, Aplia, and iClicker class participation. Exams will consist entirely of
multiple choice questions. Aplia exercises are due 11:00 PM Sundays, except as noted, but you may complete them
early if you like. Note that grade weights sum to 110%.
 There are NO MAKEUP EXAMS unless you have a valid excuse and make arrangements at least one week
beforehand. If you miss a midterm for any reason or no reason at all, it gets the same score as your final exam (i.e.,
your score on the final exam is entered in my gradebook as your score on that midterm).
Econ 202Sec004 Syllabus, Douglas
Fall 2010
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 I WILL DROP the FIRST of your two midterm grades but only if the second midterm grade is higher.
The second midterm is comprehensive to that point, and its score will not be dropped.
The Final Exam is comprehensive, and its score will not be dropped.
 Letter grades are based on the following SCALE: F is 0-54.99; D is 55-67.99; C is 68-79.99; B is 80-89.99; and A is
90-110. I give pluses and minuses at my own discretion. Whatever your average is at the end of the semester, I will
apply the scale above to find your grade. I don’t round upward!! If your average is 89.9, you get a B. Not an A.
End of discussion. My grading policies give you plenty of opportunity to do well, but I stick to them inflexibly.
 Purchase of Aplia interactive courseware is required for this section. The sooner you register for Aplia, the better.
SEE PAGE 3 OF THIS SYLLABUS FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT APLIA.
 Each student purchases and is completely responsible for registering and maintaining his or her own iClicker. If you
forget to bring it to class, lose it, or let the battery go dead, it’s your problem. Not my problem.
SEE PAGE 4 OF THIS SYLLABUS FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ICLICKERS.
 ATTENDANCE POLICY: Learning Economics is hard for most students. It is much easier if you come to class.
o Everything I put on the exams will be covered in lecture.
o Some things covered in lecture (and therefore on exams) are not in the readings.
o There is more material in the reading assignments than there is in lecture, so coming to lecture and taking good
notes will help you study efficiently.
o Discussion of iClicker questions with classmates in class will help you absorb and understand the subject.
o You can’t get iClicker points if you don’t come to class with a working iClicker.
 HONOR SYSTEM: I expect academic honesty from each of you. The examination environment will deter cheating, and
any cheater will leave the room immediately and will receive no credit for that exam. I will then follow up, prosecuting
vigorously according to the rules and procedures of the University. Your own actions and your own conscience are
ultimately your own, however, and to remind you of your responsibility to yourself and others everyone will sign this
statement on each exam: “I have neither given nor received unauthorized help on this exam.”
 I am determined to provide an environment that encourages you to learn, regardless of your race, gender, religion,
political views, sexual preference, disabilities, age, etc. You should feel that you have an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY to
learn. If you feel discriminated against, left out, or abused in my class, by me or your classmates, in any way, let me
know and I will fix the problem.
 Contact Disability Services (304-293-6700) if you are having (or anticipate having) difficulty due to a DISABILITY.
Also, please contact me and I will try to accommodate you in any way that I can.
 IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE please stop by my office for a talk.
The most useful thing for most students is to do practice problems, and attend class regularly.
 Extra Credit: Extra credit is built into the course grading system, as the total weights add up to 110%. The easiest
way to take advantage of this is by obtaining all of the Aplia and iClicker points that you can. Occasionally, I may
offer extra credit points in class.
 Also, you may earn one point extra credit (added to your final course score) each time you can show me that a factual
statement that I made in a class is objectively incorrect. You must be the first student to point out my mistake, and you
must raise the matter within one week to be eligible for extra credit.
DESIRED STUDENT OUTCOMES FOR ECON 202.
After completing this course, you should be able to:
1. Explain how GDP, the unemployment rate, inflation, interest rates, and economic growth are measured, distinguish
between real and nominal variables, and explain the significance of these measures.
2. Understand and analyze the determinants of long-run variations in economic growth rates, wealth, and income.
3. Understand and analyze the determinants of short-run fluctuations of economic variables over the business cycle.
4. Understand the goals and tools of monetary and fiscal policy.
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APLIA COURSEWARE (WWW.APLIA.COM):

 Aplia provides both an online copy of the text and weekly problem sets at www.aplia.com. The purpose is to give
you a chance to review, apply, and engage with the material interactively. You won’t learn the subject unless you
practice, and Aplia is an opportunity to practice and learn.
 You can log in to Aplia from any computer that has a fast (DSL or satellite or cable) internet connection.
 BE SURE TO DO ALL OF THE PROBLEM SETS ON TIME. In most weeks, there will be one (occasionally two)
problem sets which must be completed by 11:00 PM on Sunday. I will not extend due dates or times for any reason.
During the FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES there are three graded problem sets due on Sunday (8/29). One of them is a math
quiz and tutorial. If the math quiz seems easy, you don’t need to bother about the tutorial part. If the math quiz seems
hard, take plenty of time with the tutorial. The math skills needed for Econ 202 are modest (as in, you should have
mastered them by 8th grade), but you will need them, so use this opportunity to hone your skills.
Because drop/add doesn’t end until Friday, during the SECOND WEEK OF CLASSES I will offer a second chance to take the
first week problem sets. Anyone who wants to can take these “second chance” problem sets. For each of these second
chance problem sets, only the higher of the two scores counts. If you did fine the first chance, don’t bother with the
second chance and you won’t be penalized.
I will drop the lowest two Aplia problem set scores when figuring your final score in Aplia. Partly, I think of these as
your “free passes” in case there is a problem with your computer connection or something. The best way to avoid
technical problems, though, is to start on your problem sets early so that you’ll have time to find a new computer.
Your Aplia final score will be the average of your individual problem set scores. Hard problem sets with lots of
questions will count just the same as easy problem sets with just a few questions. You can think of the easy problem
sets as a wonderful opportunity, or you can think of the harder problem sets as a terribly unfair burden. It’s up to you.
Aplia keeps a running total of the number of questions you have missed and gotten right during the semester. Don’t
pay much attention to it, because when I figure your final Aplia score not all questions will count the same (as I
explained in the last paragraph), this total won’t take account of the “second chance” problem sets, and it won’t take
account of the “free pass” problem sets.
How to access your Aplia courseware
Registration
1. Connect to www.aplia.com.
2. If you already have an Aplia account, sign in. Your course key is T7F7-WFHX-HNBM.
If you don't have an account, click the Create a New Account button, and enter your course key when
prompted: T7F7-WFHX-HNBM. Continue to follow the on-screen instructions.
Payment
After you register for your course, you will have a variety of payment options. If you choose to pay later,
you can use Aplia without paying until 11:59 PM on Sunday, 09/12/2010.
Option 1: Digital Textbook with Aplia Access
• From Aplia: A digital version of the text is included automatically when you register and pay for
Aplia on www.aplia.com as described above.
Option 2: Physical Textbook with Aplia Access (also includes digital textbook)
• From Aplia: First purchase access to your course for US$80.00 on the Aplia website, as described
above. Then, on your Aplia Course Home page, you can purchase a hardcopy book $49 more.
• From Bookstore: Purchase a physical book bundled with an Aplia Access Card from your campus
bookstore.
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i>CLICKERS (WWW.ICLICKER.COM):
 An iClicker is a classroom response tool that will help me know if you understand what’s going on in lecture. It will
help you stay focused on the lecture, give you a chance to discuss economics with your classmates, and help you do
better on exams. It’s a proven, simple, highly reliable technology.
 iClicker participation counts up to 10% of your grade. You can think of this as corresponding to 10% extra credit
points if you like. (So, if you choose not to iClick you still can do fine in the class. It’s just quite a bit harder.)
 When I ask a question in class, you will answer it by clicking a key on your iClicker. Generally, I will give you time to
discuss the question with classmates. My receiver and software will keep track of your responses. We’ll also be able to
see how the class answers the question right away, in real time.
 Grading: Every student starts the semester with 50 iClicker points. Every question you get right earns you 5 iClicker
points. Every question you get wrong costs you one point. Every question you don’t answer costs you 5 points. At
the end of the semester I will add up the number of right answers and subtract the non-responses, multiply by five,
subtract the wrong answers, add 50, and that will be your “iClicker score.” 100 is the maximum, zero is the minimum.
I will multiply your iClicker score by 0.1 (one-tenth), and add that number of points to your score for the course.
 Using more than one iClicker (i.e., an absent classmate’s iClicker) class is CHEATING. My TA and I will be watching
for violations. If I catch you, I will delete all of your and your classmate’s iClicker points for the entire semester.
 The first three days of class will be iClicker practice days. Points in the first 3 days therefore won’t count toward your
semester total.
 Every 100 clicker points above the first 100 will be worth an additional "bonus point" of extra credit. For example, if
you have 300 clicker points accumulated by the end of the semester, you will get 12 points (10 for the first 100, plus
one each for the next two hundreds) added to your score. These bonus points will only be added in whole numbers,
rounded down; therefore, if you have 375 clicker points at the end of the semester you will still only get 12 points
added to your semester score.
HOW TO REGISTER YOUR ICLICKER:
Each clicker has a unique serial number on the back. (The serial number may also include some letters.) Write it down
somewhere safe, and place a piece of scotch tape over that bar code and serial number to preserve it. This serial number
will identify your clicker to the system.
In order to receive credit for your answers, you will need to register your iClicker online within the first two weeks of
class. In order to register your iClicker you must have come to class at least once during that period and responded to at
least one question using it.
Once you have answered a question in class, go to www.iclicker.com/registration. Complete the fields with your first name,
last name, MIX ID, and remote ID. Remember, use your MIX email for your clicker ID. The remote ID is the serial number
mentioned above that you found on the back of your clicker. Once you’ve done that, you are all set!
If you have a problem registering your iClicker, come by my office during office hours and I will help you with it.
FREE ICLICKER ADVICE:
You should also write your name on your clicker with a Sharpie so that you don’t get it mixed up with someone else’s.
Once you have registered your clicker online, that clicker’s responses are recorded as your responses, regardless of who
pushes the buttons. You will want to keep good track of your clicker!!
We will use the iClicker response system every day in class, and you are responsible for bringing your clicker to class
every day. If you forget to bring it to class, lose it, let the battery go dead, or accidentally switch clickers with someone
else, I will do what I can to help you, but that probably won’t be much.
MAINTAINING AND KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR ICLICKER IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.