Eco 3203: Intermediate Macroeconomics
Instructor: Syed Al-Helal Uddin
Email: suddi002@fiu.edu
Classroom: ECS 145
Class time: 5:00 PM-6:15 PM (M & W)
Office Hours: 6:20 to 7:50 PM (M & W)
Course Materials
Textbook: Macroeconomics, 6th Edition by Oliver Blanchard, David R Johnson. If you prefer
using the non-custom version of the book, I would recommend buying the 6th edition
(ISBN: 0133061639).
Reference: Macroeconomics, 9th Edition by N. Gregory Mankiw (ISBN: 978-1-4641-8374-4).
This is also a good book for intermediate Macroeconomics. This book goes from
long run to short run.
Grading





Problem Sets (5*3 = 15%): There will be three problem sets over the quarter. Each of
them will be assigned one week before the due date. Due dates will be announced in
class, late problem sets will not be accepted. You are encouraged to work together on the
problem sets. However, I require an individual write-up by each student.
We will have three non-cumulative in-class exams.
Exam 1 (25%): The first exam is tentatively scheduled for (28th September, 2015)
Exam 2 (30%): The second exam is tentatively scheduled for (2nd November, 2015)
Exam 3 (30%): The third exam is tentatively scheduled for (tba)
Learning Goals






Understand the importance of microeconomics as a foundation for macroeconomics
Understand how aggregate economic activity is measured at the level of a nation
Understand how basic models of the economy summarize and explain the interactions
between these main macroeconomic measures, output, employment, and inflation
Understand what causes economic activity to fluctuate over the years, from recessions to
full employment and back
Understand the role of government in trying to smooth out these fluctuations
Understand the links between the domestic economy and the rest of the world




Understand the differences between adjustment in the short run and adjustment in the
long run
Understand the insights conveyed by the various schools of thought –Keynesian
economics with sticky prices, classical economics with flexible prices, and various
syntheses of the two
Understand how the economy grows in the very long run through capital accumulation
and technological progress
Understand specific concepts like dynamics and expectations
Make-up Exams:
Except for illness or another serious unexpected happening, there will not be any kind of makeup exams or deadline extensions for problem sets. If you are not able to make it to an exam (or
to class when a problem set is due) due to a serious reason, you have to contact me on the same
day and explain what happened. In any case you will have to show proper valid documentation
as soon as possible after the missed exam/problem set due date, such as a doctor’s note.
Academic Honesty:
Exams are individual work and cheating will not be tolerated. Although I encourage you to work
together on problem sets, I will not tolerate if you copy answers from another student. The
Department of Economics will follow university policy in case of academic dishonesty.
Academic integrity is the cornerstone of the Department‘s rules for student conduct and
evaluation of student learning. Students accused of academic misconduct will be referred
directly to the Office of Community Standards and Student Conduct for disciplinary action
pursuant to the Student Conduct Code and, if found guilty, will be subject to sanctions. Sanctions
range from a disciplinary warning, to academic probation, to immediate dismissal for the
Department and the University, depending on the seriousness of the misconduct. Dismissal can
be, and has been, applied even for first offenses. Moreover, a grade of zero can be assigned by
the instructor for the course.
Tentative Course Schedule:
Week 1: Major Macroeconomic Variables [Ch 2]
The Goods Market [Ch 3]
Week 2: The Goods Market [Ch 3]
Financial Market [Ch 4]
Week 3: Goods and Financial Markets: IS-LM model [Ch 5]
Week 4: The Labor Market [Ch 6]
All Markets Together: AD-AS Model [Ch 7]
Week 5: All Markets Together: AD-AS Model [Ch 7]
Midterm Exam 1 [Ch 1 - 7] [28th September, 2015]
Week 6: The crisis [Ch 9]
Inflation, Unemployment, Phillips Curve [Ch 8]
Week 7: The Facts of Growth [Ch 10]
Saving, Capital Accumulation and Output [Ch 11]
Week 8: Saving, Capital Accumulation and Output [Ch 11]
Technological Progress and Growth [Ch 12]
Week 9: Technological Progress and Growth [Ch 12]
Week 10: Technological Progress and Growth [Ch 13]
Midterm Exam 2 [Ch 8 - 13] [2nd November, 2015]
Week 11: Openness in Goods and Financial Markets [Ch 18]
Week 12: The Goods Market in an Open Economy [Ch 19]
Week 13: The Goods Market in an Open Economy [Ch 19]
Week 14: Output, Interest Rate, and Exchange Rate [Ch 20]
Week 15: Review
Final Exam [Ch 18 - 20]