Stevens Institute of Technology Howe School of Technology Management Syllabus BT 243 Macroeconomics Richard Anderson Richard.Anderson@stevens.edu Year: 2014 Overview This course provides an introduction to the theory and analysis of the determination of the levels of national income and employment, fluctuations in income, monetary and fiscal policy, inflation and growth. The tools of macroeconomic analysis will be developed and applied to national economic problems facing the U.S. and other marketoriented economies. Understanding underlying economic issues, economic policies and their probable consequences is a focal point of this course. Prerequisites: None Relationship of Course to Rest of Curriculum Mgt 243 is a required course in the undergraduate Business and Technology Program and an elective in the undergraduate engineering curriculum. Learning Goals After successfully completing this course, students will be able to Articulate the core economic principles, concepts and theories that form the foundation of modern economic analysis. Apply critical thinking and quantitative reasoning to real world problems and evaluate alternative economic policy proposals on macroeconomic issues. Explain macroeconomic concepts including national income accounting, inflation, unemployment, and the monetary system Utilize knowledge of the global economy, including the international monetary system, trade and exchange rates to analyze the economic implications of alternative trade policies on domestic macroeconomic policy issues. Critically evaluate the consequences of macroeconomic policy options under differing economic conditions within a business cycle Discuss the linkages between financial markets and the real economy, and how these linkages influence the impact of economic policies. Pedagogy The course employs lectures, class discussions of current economic events, in-class problem solving exercises, myeconlab and exams. Required Text(s) Principles of Macroeconomics by Karl Case, Ray Fair and Sharon Oster, 10th edition. Pearson Prentice Hall (2012). ISBN-10: 0131391402 ISBN-13: 9780131391406 MyEconLab There will be 10 homework assignments on myeconlab. Students must log in at the beginning of the semester to access each assignment. Assignments Readings and problems are assigned each week. Students must come to class prepared to discuss and to participate fully in class discussion. Assignment Exam #1 Exam #2 Exam #3 Myeconlab assignments Total Grade Grade Percent 25% 25% 25% 25% 100% 2 Ethical Conduct The following statement is printed in the Stevens Graduate Catalog and applies to all students taking Stevens courses, on and off campus. “Cheating during in-class tests or take-home examinations or homework is, of course, illegal and immoral. A Graduate Academic Evaluation Board exists to investigate academic improprieties, conduct hearings, and determine any necessary actions. The term ‘academic impropriety’ is meant to include, but is not limited to, cheating on homework, during in-class or take home examinations and plagiarism.“ Consequences of academic impropriety are severe, ranging from receiving an “F” in a course, to a warning from the Dean of the Graduate School, which becomes a part of the permanent student record, to expulsion. Reference: The Graduate Student Handbook, Academic Year 2003-2004 Stevens Institute of Technology, page 10. Consistent with the above statements, all homework exercises, tests and exams that are designated as individual assignments MUST contain the following signed statement before they can be accepted for grading. ____________________________________________________________________ I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination. I further pledge that I have not copied any material from a book, article, the Internet or any other source except where I have expressly cited the source. Signature ________________ Date: _____________ Please note that assignments in this class may be submitted to www.turnitin.com, a webbased anti-plagiarism system, for an evaluation of their originality. 3 Course Schedule Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Topic Covered/Readings/Assignments Introduction: The Economics Toolkit- the nature and method of economics The Economic Problem - The concept of scarcity and the production possibility model Understanding Individual Markets: Supply and Demand Analysis Applications of the Supply and Demand Model Introduction to Macroeconomics - recent macroeconomic history National Income accounting Unemployment and Inflation The Keynesian Income and Expenditure Model Fiscal Policy Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve System The Demand for Money and the Equilibrium Interest Rate The Aggregate Supply and Demand Model Open Economy Macroeconomics - exchange rates and comparative advantage Open Economy Macroeconomics – the International Financial System Final exam 4