COURSE SYLLABUS FOR AP MACROECONOMICS
D. Bartolazzi
COURSE DESCRIPTION
AP Macroeconomics is an 18-week, college-level course. Each student is expected to
take the AP Macroeconomics Exam that will be administered on May 11, 2016.
Successful achievement on the AP Exam allows the student to earn three hours of
college credit upon approval from the college or university of their choice.
This course is designed to give students a thorough understanding of the principles
that apply to an economic system as a whole, including national income and price
determination, economic performance measures, economic growth, and
international economics.
TEXTBOOK
Krugman’s Economics for AP, Margaret Ray and David Anderson, BFW/Worth Publishers,
nd
2015, 2 edition
REQUIRED MATERIALS
(You must bring these items with you to class EVERYDAY!)
Blue or Black Pen
Pencil
Notebook paper
1 ½” three-ring binder (or other organizational folder of your choice)
Calculator
CLASS RULES
Students should be:
Punctual
Prepared
Productive
Polite (NO cell phones)
(willing to) Participate
CELL PHONE POLICY – Students are expected to have their cell phones put away
during formal instruction time and while testing.
TUTORING SCHEDULE
Any day after school from 2:35 – 3:00
Before school - by appointment only
SECRETS TO SUCCESS IN AP MACROECONOMICS
1. READ! READ! READ!
2. Learn to think, write, and speak in “economese” – the language of economics.
3. Understand rather than memorize the information.
4. Be able to accurately explain and graph crucial cause/effect relationships.
5. Begin reviewing for the AP Exam at least one month before the test date! (not the
night before)
COURSE EVALUATION
TESTS = 60%
TESTS - will consist of no more than 60 multiple-choice questions. Students who are
absent will be required to make-up the test the day they return to class, unless
several days of instruction were missed and then other arrangements will be made.
Students may take one retest over any exam per nine weeks. A score of 75 is the
highest grade a student may make on the retest. Students must come in for at least
one tutoring session prior to retesting. Both the tutoring session, and retest date and
time will be established by the teacher. If a student is caught cheating on a test, they
will receive a zero on the test and a re-assessment for that test is not permitted.
QUIZZES= 25%
FREE-RESPONSE QUIZZES - These quizzes will be given prior to a major test to check
for understanding of the graphs covered in the current unit and to prepare students
for the Free-response portion of the AP exam. Notes will not be allowed on these
quizzes. Students who are absent will be required to make-up these quizzes the day
they return to class, unless several days of instruction were missed and then other
arrangements will be made.
DAILY GRADES = 15%
HOMEWORK – When given, it will typically be due the following class period.
Homework assignments will be accepted one class period late for half credit.
READING QUIZZES – I will periodically give a quiz over the assigned reading from the
textbook. Students who are absent will be required to make-up these quizzes the
day they return to class.
ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE POSTED WEEKLY ON THE CLASS BLOG
Therefore, there is NO excuse for you to not be prepared for class!
AS YOUR TEACHER…
* I can explain models and concepts
* I can simplify some of the material
* I can organize our learning
* I can help you evaluate your learning
* I cannot explain everything you need to know
* I cannot think for you
* I cannot learn for you
* I cannot take the AP test for you
I’m looking forward to a great semester!
Mrs. Dustie Bartolazzi
phone: 936-709-1200
email: mailto:dbartolazzi@conroeisd.net
website: http://twhs.conroeisd.net/teachers/dbartolazzi/
Red Day blog: http://dbartolazzi.blogspot.com/
Green Day blog: http://dbartolazzigreen.blogspot.com/
BASIC OUTLINE
The following are the sections we will cover during this semester. Notice that we will
NOT be covering every section in the book. We will only cover the Macroeconomic
topics.
Section 1, Modules 1-4: Basic Economic Concepts (Scarcity, Production Possibilities
Curve, Comparative Advantage and Trade)
Unit One Test
Section 2, Modules 5-9: Supply and Demand
Section 8, Module 42 – The Foreign Exchange Market
Unit Two Test
Section 3: Modules 10-15: Measurement of Economic Performance (Circular Flow,
GDP, Unemployment, and Inflation)
Unit Three Test
Section 4, Modules 16-19: National Price and Income Determination (Spending
Multiplier, Aggregate Supply and Demand)
Unit Four Test
Section 4, Modules 20-21: National Price and Income Determination (Fiscal Policy
and Multiplier Effects)
Section 5, Module 29: The Market for Loanable Funds (Interest Rate in the short and
long run)
Section 6, Module 34: Inflation and Unemployment: The Phillip’s Curve
Unit Five Test
Section 5, Modules 22-28: The Financial Sector (The Federal Reserve, Monetary
Policy, The Money Market)
Unit Six Test
Section 6, Modules 30-33, 35: Inflation, Unemployment, and Stabilization Policies
(Policy Mix and History of Macroeconomics)
Section 7, Modules 39-40: Economic Growth and Productivity
Unit Seven Test
Section 8, Modules 41, 43-45: The Open Economy: International Trade and Finance
(Capital Flows, Balance of Payments, Foreign Exchange Market, Barriers to Trade)
Unit 8 Test
Practice AP Exam
College Board Summary Outline for AP Macroeconomics
The following is a summary outline of the major content areas covered by the AP
Examination in Macroeconomics. The percentages indicated reflect the approximate
percentages devoted to each content area in the multiple-choice section of the
examination. The outline is a guide and is not intended as an exhaustive list of topics.
I. Basic Economic Concepts (8-12%)
A. Scarcity, choice, and opportunity costs
B. Production possibilities curve
C. Comparative and absolute advantage, specialization, and exchange
D. Demand, supply, and market equilibrium
E. Macroeconomic issues: business cycle, unemployment, inflation, growth
II. Measurement of Economic Performance (12-16%)
A. National income accounts
1. Circular flow
2. Gross domestic product
3. Components of gross domestic product
4. Real versus nominal gross domestic product
B. Inflation measurement and adjustment
1. Price indices
2. Nominal and real values
3. Costs of inflation
C. Unemployment
1. Definition and measurement
2. Types of unemployment
3. Natural rate of unemployment
III. National Income and Price Determination (10-15%)
A. Aggregate demand
1. Determinants of aggregate demand
2. Multiplier and crowding-out effects
B. Aggregate supply
1. Short-run and long-run analyses
2. Sticky versus flexible wages and prices
3. Determinants of aggregate supply
C. Macroeconomic equilibrium
1. Real output and price level
2. Short and long run
3. Actual versus full-employment output
4. Economic fluctuations
IV. Financial Sector (15-20%)
A. Money, banking, and financial markets
1. Definition of financial assets: money, stocks, bonds
2. Time value of money (present and future value)
3. Measures of money supply
4. Banks and creation of money
5. Money demand
6. Money market
7. Loanable funds market
B. Central bank and control of the money supply
1. Tools of central bank policy
2. Quantity theory of money
3. Real versus nominal interest rates
V. Inflation, Unemployment, and Stabilization Policies (20-30%)
A. Fiscal and monetary policies
1. Demand-side effects
2. Supply-side effects
3. Policy mix
4. Government deficits and debt
B. Inflation and unemployment
1. Types of inflation
a) Demand-pull inflation
b) Cost-push inflation
2. The Phillips curve: short run versus long run
3. Role of expectations
VI. Economic Growth and Productivity (5-10%)
A. Investment in human capital
B. Investment in physical capital
C. Research and development, and technological progress
D. Growth policy
VII. Open Economy: International Trade and Finance (10-15%)
A. Balance of payment accounts
1. Balance of trade
2. Current account
3. Capital account
B. Foreign exchange market
1. Demand for and supply of foreign exchange
2. Exchange rate determination
3. Currency appreciation and depreciation
C. Net exports and capital flows
D. Links to financial and goods markets