Sacramento City College s7

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS ECON 1A – Introduction to Macroeconomic Analysis FALL 2015 (SECTIONS 2&90)

Instructor: Dr. Yan “Joni” Zhou e-mail: [email protected] Office: Tahoe 3020 Office phone: 278-7653 Office Hours: Monday 1:00 – 3:00 pm and Friday 1:00 - 2:00 pm or by appointment

Course Information Lecture: MoWeFr 10:00 – 10:50 am at Mariposa Hall 1001 Course web page: http://login.cengagebrain.com/course/88VE-V3RH-4JLG Class No.: 85229 for Section 2 and 82710 for Section 90 GE Area: D1A

Catalog Description Introductory inquiry into the workings and interrelationships of the aggregate economic system. The primary focus is on total production and its distribution, employment and price levels, and the forces influencing them. Other considerations are the roles of government, the monetary sector, and related areas. 3 units. Objectives Macroeconomics is the branch of economics that deals with the economy as a whole. This is the broad field that focuses on economic issues you’ve seen discussed in the media: unemployment, GDP, inflation, and interest rates. Changes in macroeconomic conditions affect various gender, ethnic, and socio-economic groups differently. Policy decisions have important implications for these groups and the economy as a whole.

At the end of this course, you should (i) have a general understanding of the unique perspective taken by macroeconomics in its study of society and human behavior, (ii) know the inquiry methods used by economists and be able to apply economic principles and models to everyday decisions, (iii) be able to explain how key macroeconomic statistics are measured, (iv) be able to explain the determinants of economic growth and people’s living standards, (v) be able to analyze how macroeconomic policies affect the overall economic situation, and (vi) know the basic concepts related to open-economy macroeconomics.

To meet the GE writing requirement, you will be asked to answer short essay questions on exams.

Required Textbook Mankiw, N. Gregory, Brief Principles of Macroeconomics, 7th edition (available online) You are required to register for this course online at

- 1 - http://login.cengagebrain.com/course/88VE-V3RH-4JLG. Details about how to register are given at the end of this syllabus. Your registration includes an online version of the textbook.

Grading Homework 20% Two midterm exams 40% Comprehensive final exam 40% Grades will be distributed approximately according to the following scale: A >93 A- 90~93 B+ 87~89 B 83~86 B- 80~82 C+ 77~79 C 73~76 C- 70~72 D+ 67~69 D 63~66 D- 60~62 F <60

Assignments  You must be registered to this course online to access homework assignments and receive credits for it. It is very important that you have reliable (high-speed) internet access. It is highly recommended that you use the on-campus computer labs to complete your homework. Computer problems are NOT an excuse for missing assignments.

 No late homework will be accepted. Due dates for all assignments are posted online usually a week in advance. No extensions of due dates are allowed. You must keep track of the due dates for all homework assignments. I will announce in class when I assign new homework. You are also encouraged to check the course website frequently in case you miss the announcements in class. If you add the course late in the semester, you cannot makeup work you have missed.

 Start working on the assignments at least a day before the due date. These assignments are challenging and important both for your homework grade and your performance in the class. Please give yourself enough time to work on them.

 The answers and explanations for each assignment will be available immediately after the due time. Please be sure to review the answers and explanations of each assignment.

 Free peer tutoring for this class is available at Tahoe 3025 in the Department of Economics. Tutoring hours are posted in the department office during the first week of classes. You can also email me, drop by my office at Tahoe 3020 during office hours (see the top of page 1), or make appointments with me if you have any questions regarding the homework assignments.

- 2 - Policies 1. Academic honesty is expected. You will receive a mark of zero on any work (including exams) where academic dishonesty occurs. For the definition of academic dishonesty, please visit: http://www.csus.edu/umanual/AcademicHonestyPolicyandProcedures.htm.

2. You are responsible for bringing a scantron form (#882-E), a pencil and a calculator on the day of exams. Exams will be closed book and given in class. 3. There will be no makeup examinations. Exam dates are given in the course outline below. All exam dates are fixed, if you cannot take exams on these dates, please do not enroll in this class. 4. I recommend that you attend all the lectures of this class. Missing a lecture usually costs you plenty of time to catch up. Those who attend the lectures irregularly tend to perform poorly in this class. If you have to miss a lecture, you must provide the relevant documents (such as a doctor’s note) to me. 5. Come to class on time and stay for the entire class session. If you do need to leave early, please let me know before class starts. 6. If you decide to withdraw from this class, please make sure you do so with the registrar. If you withdraw without permission, you will be assigned a failing grade. 7. Keep cell phones shut off during class. During exams, you may not use your cell phone as a calculator. You must bring a calculator w/o programming capabilities. 8. If you have a learning disability or a physical disability that requires accommodation, please let me know as soon as possible. All needs that have been verified through the Services to Students with Disabilities (Lassen Hall) will be accommodated.

- 3 - Tentative Course Outline Beginning Topic Reading Date

Week 1 8/31 Syllabus Lecture 1: Ten Principles of Economics Chapter 1

Week 2 9/7 No class on Monday 9/7 (Labor Day) Chapter 1 Lecture 1: Ten Principles of Economics (continued) Chapter 2 Lecture 2: Thinking Like an Economist

Week 3 9/14 Lecture 3: Interdependence and Gains from Trade Chapter 3

Week 4 9/21 Lecture 3: Interdependence and Gains from Trade (continued) Chapter 3

Week 5 9/28 Lecture 4: The Market Forces of Supply and Demand Chapter 4

Week 6 10/5 Midterm Review (Wednesday, 10/7) Midterm Exam #1 – Lectures 1-4 (Friday, 10/9)

Week 7 10/12 Lecture 5: Measuring the Nation’s Income Chapter 5 Lecture 6: Measuring the Cost of Living Chapter 6

Week 8 10/19 Lecture 6: Measuring the Cost of Living (continued) Chapter 6 Lecture 7: Production and Growth Chapter 7

Week 9 10/26 Lecture 7: Production and Growth (continued) Chapter 7

Week 10 11/2 Lecture 8: Savings, Investment, & the Market for Loanable Funds Chapter 8

Week 11 11/9 Midterm Review (Monday, 11/9) No class on Wednesday 11/11 (Veteran’s Day) Midterm Exam #2 – Lectures 5-8 (Friday, 11/13)

Week 12 11/16 Lecture 8: Savings, Investment, & the Market for Loanable Funds Chapter 8 (continued)

Week 13 11/23 Lecture 9: The Basic Tools of Finance Chapter 9 Nov 26-27: Thanksgiving Recess

Week 14 11/30 Lecture 10: Unemployment and its Natural Rate Chapter 10

Week 15 12/7 Lecture 11: The Monetary System Chapter 11 Review for Final Exam

Week 16 12/14 Final Exam (Lectures 1-11): Friday Dec 18, 2015, 8:00am - 10:00am

- 4 - How to access your Aplia course Econ 1A (Sections 2 & 90)

Instructor: Yan Zhou Start Date: 08/31/2015 What is Aplia?

In just 10 years, more than one billion answers have been submitted through Aplia, the premier online assignment solution. Millions of students use Aplia to better prepare for class and for their exams. Join them today!

Registration

1. Connect to http://login.cengagebrain.com/course/88VE-V3RH-4JLG 2. Follow the prompts to register for your Aplia course.

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Online: You can pay online using a credit or debit card, or PayPal.

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Free Trial: You can access Aplia until 11:59 PM on 09/20/2015 during your free trial. After the free trial ends you will be required to pay for access.

Please note: At the end of the free trial period, your course access will be suspended until your payment has been made. All your scores and course activity will be saved and will be available to you after you pay for access.

If you already registered an access code or bought Aplia online, the course key to register for this course is: 88VE- V3RH-4JLG

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