College / University Name

Econ 2210 – Macroeconomics Taft College Course Syllabus Fall 2016

Course Reference Number 53031

Course Section 30

Class meets Aug 22, 2016 – Dec 16, 2016 Offline

Instructor Adam W. Bledsoe, MBA

 Office G2C

29 Cougar Court, Taft, CA 93268

 Office hours TR 9:30 am –12:00 pm

 Contact hours T 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

R 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm

 Office Phone (661) 763-7781

 Email [email protected]

 Website http://dl-test.taftcollege.edu/tcwp/fac3/abledsoe/

Special Dates

 Last Date for Refund 8/31/16

 Last Date for Drop with No Notation 9/05/16

 Last Date for Drop with a “W” 10/26/16

Bledsoe Macroeconomics P a g e | 1  DO NOT assume if you no longer attend class that you have been dropped from the course.

 A change in your attendance status is YOUR responsibility.

 If you do not come to class and do not file your DROP request with the registrar, you will be issued an “F” for this course.

I. Required Text Miller, R. (2014). Economics Today (17th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson ISBN: 978-0-13-294890-6

II. Course Information

 3 Semester Credits

 Prerequisites: Successful completion in Mathematics 1060 or high school intermediate algebra with a grade of "C" or better

 Advisory: Eligibility for English 1500 strongly recommended; 48 hours lecture

 Transfer Credit: CSU: UC

III. Course Description

Students are introduced to the principles of macroeconomics. Analysis of national income production, full employment and price stability, cyclical stability, and the economic growth problem are emphasized. The income and expenditure approach, debt management, fiscal, and the monetary approaches are studied. Emphasis is on tools of economic thinking and the historical development of these tools.

IV. Course Measurable Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to: a. Identify and interpret macroeconomic data. b. Apply macroeconomic models to understand the economy. c. Analyze the economic impacts of monetary and fiscal policy. d. Demonstrate an understanding of the function of the central bank and the banking system. e. Analyze and recommend a solution for a current economic problem outside of the United States.

Bledsoe Macroeconomics P a g e | 2 V. Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s)

 Students will formulate a fiscal policy intervention for a government. (Cognitive- K)

 Students will develop an economic project in response to a macroeconomic question. (Psychomotor- S)

 Students will show an appreciation for using economic concepts, skills and ways of thinking to answer questions about the world. (Affective- A) VI. Course Outline

To familiarize the student with:

 Unit 1: Basic Economic Concepts (Ch. 1-2)

 Unit 2: Demand & Supply (Ch. 3-4)

 Unit 3: Basic Macro Concepts (Ch. 7-9)

 Unit 4: Macro Economic Models (Ch. 10-12)

 Unit 5: Fiscal Policy (Ch. 13-14)

 Unit 6: Monetary Policy (Ch. 15-16)

 Unit 7: Global Economics (Ch. 32-33)

VII. Course Policies

 Attendance requirements

 While students are free to work on this course as their schedule allows, all work is expected to be completed and delivered on time. Students not submitting the first assignment on time may be dropped from the course. After that, it is the responsibility of the student to drop the course if they are unable to turn in work as scheduled. Contact the counseling center or the distance learning help desk for drop deadlines and procedures.

 Estimated Time Per Week: 10-12 hours per week completing reading, homework, examinations, and projects.

Bledsoe Macroeconomics P a g e | 3  Dropping the class

o Dropping the class – Should a student elect to drop this class, it is his/her responsibility to complete the necessary paperwork. Please see Add/Drop critical dates on the first page of the syllabus.

 Academic Dishonesty

o “Academic dishonesty is defined by this college as any illegitimate act by any student, such as plagiarism or falsifying documents that would gain that student an advantage in grading, graduating from the college, or qualifying for entrance into any academic program. It is a serious breach of student conduct and will be treated as such by administrators, instructors, staff members, and students of the college. Penalties for such conduct, depending on its severity, may range from a simple reprimand to an action that results in expulsion from the college. All flagrant instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Vice President of Instruction and/or the Vice President of Student Services, and appropriate measures will be taken by those officers of the college to correct the problem.”

o All students are expected to work independently. PLAGIARISM IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WILL RESULT IN A GRADE OF “F” FOR THE ASSIGNMENT. THE VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTRUCTION WILL BE NOTIFIED.

 Grading Policies

o See attached sheet for criteria for grading (section XII) VIII. Methods of Instruction Students will encounter any or all of the following learning strategies: a. Group discussions; b. Role playing using scenarios; c. Case development and presentations; d. Small group projects; e. Simulations; f. Problem-solving and situational analysis; g. Demonstrations; h. Visual presentations; and i. Lecture IX. Methods of Evaluation

Bledsoe Macroeconomics P a g e | 4 This course will use any or all of the following formative and summative assessments: a. Oral and written case analysis; b. Oral and written reflections on students' learning and metacognition; c. Portfolio construction and presentation; d. Academic reports recorded in academic style using A.P.A. formatting; e. Quizzes; f. Summative assessments; g. Presentations and demonstrations; and h. Class participation

X. Course Repetition and Withdrawal

 Students that have received a course grade of D, F, NP, FW, or W 3 times will not be permitted to take the course again at Taft College. If extenuating circumstances apply, students may petition to enroll in a course the fourth time. For further information, please contact the Counseling Center at 661-763-7748.

 The last day to withdraw from class without a “W” being recorded on your transcript is 9/5/16. The last day to withdraw with a “W” is 10/26/16.

XI. Learning Accommodations

Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Student Support Services located in the Student Services Building or call 661-763-7799 for an appointment. It is important to request services as soon as possible to ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

XII. Grading Criteria

7 Unit Examinations @ 50 Points Each = 350 Points MC based on readings FRQs based on class applications

7 Discussions @ 10-20 Points Each = 130 Points Must be taken in class on assigned day

8 Class Applications @ 10-25 Points Each = 185 Points

1 Economic Policy Scenario = 55 Points

Bledsoe Macroeconomics P a g e | 5 1 Economic Development Project = 200 Points

10 pts – Submitting an approved topic 40 pts – Rough draft in APA format 100 pts – Final draft 50 pts – PowerPoint presentation

1 Final Examination = 80 Points

Total Points: = 1,000 Points

A = 90-100%

B = 80-89%

C = 70-79%

D = 60-69% F = 0 -59%

XIII. Exams and Assignments

All work (other than the final exam) is due Friday the week it is assigned.

o See pages 10-11 for weekly assignment dates. Late Work Policy: o NO late work will be accepted.

Examinations:

There will be seven examinations throughout the course that will cover between two and three chapters. A portion of the exam will be multiple choice questions that will be based on your assigned readings. The other portion of the exam will be free response questions (FRQs) based on the in class applications.

You may take your own hand written notes to use on exam. Notes must be submitted with exam and will be returned to you.

Discussions:

There are 7 offline discussion topics that require students to respond to a prompt. You will receive a packet that contains all discussion topics.

Bledsoe Macroeconomics P a g e | 6 If you do not meet this first discussion deadline, I will assume you do not wish to stay in the class and will drop you unless you contact me. NO late work is accepted.

Unit Assignments:

There will be eight unit assignments. You will receive a packet that contains all assignments. The goal is to apply what we have covered in lecture in preparation for the upcoming exam. Points will NOT be deducted for incorrect answers. Any errors that are made are meant to provide valuable information to students. These mistakes, if corrected, should lower the odds of future mistakes on the exam FRQs. Points will be deducted for incomplete answers.

Economic Policy Scenario:

Students will be given a packet of information in which they will formulate a fiscal policy intervention for a government.

Economic Development Project:

The paper for this course requires you to think of a macroeconomic problem that currently exists outside of the United States. Using that problem, you will form a paper topic that will explore alternative solutions to the problem. I am looking for papers that propose solutions to macroeconomic problems, not simply explain what the problem is. For example, assuming you could look at problems in the United States (which you can’t), you could suggest a problem of poverty. An appropriate topic would then be: Solutions for Poverty in the United States. I would not approve a topic that is worded: Poverty in the United States. My rejection of the second wording would be because I was concerned that topic would produce a paper that only explains what the problem is, or why it exists, and does not seek solutions for it.

Once you have an approved topic you will write your paper using the APA format. Please use the OWL Purdue website for an understanding of how to use the APA style. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/ In summary I will be looking for the following components in an APA paper:  Title Page  Abstract  Correct headings for each section of your paper  Proper in-text citations  Reference page (minimum of two sources)

Bledsoe Macroeconomics P a g e | 7 The title page, abstract and reference page are not considered part of the body of your paper. The body of your paper should be a minimum of 3 full pages and a maximum of 5 full pages. The body of your paper should be broken into 4 clear sections (in bold is what should be used as an APA heading for each section): Use Your Approved Paper Topic: An overview of the problem your paper is researching. Make it clear why this is a problem that must be solved. This is the only section of your paper where it is appropriate to discuss the severity of the problem or the causes of the problem. Research and Findings: Present three alternative solutions to the problem that you have researched. Each solution should be presented in separate paragraphs with proper in-text citations. You may look for examples of solutions that are currently being proposed or you can look at other countries that have faced similar problems and what they did to solve it. For each proposed solution include a brief analysis if you think this would be a viable solution for your country’s problem. Macroeconomic Development Plan: Of the three alternative solutions that you researched, state which one that you recommend should be implemented. Explain why you feel that it is the best option and why you rejected the other two alternatives. You may also choose to go with a hybrid approach and combine two or three of the alternative solutions. In doing so you must still explain your reasoning for accepting or rejecting any of the alternatives. A final option for this section is to reject all of the alternatives and propose your own original solution. Explain why you think your solution is superior and your reasons rejecting each of the alternatives. Measuring Effectiveness: For the solution you recommended in your macroeconomic development plan explain how we can measure if it is working or not. Think of statistic can we look to that will be able to show a pre and post measurement of the problem your country is facing. You should be very clear as to what defines success and what would define failure for your proposed solution. The Presentation: After completing the paper you are to create a PowerPoint presentation that could be used to present the findings of your paper. Every research project must be presented and can earn up to 50 points. To satisfy this requirement, please prepare a PowerPoint presentation with no less than 10 slides and no more than 15. The presentation will be a summary of your paper. Because it is a summary, follow the 6 x 6 guideline. The 6 x 6 guideline for presentations is to include no more than 6 points per slide and no more than 6 words per point. The presentation will be downloaded into your Etudes shell. It will be graded using the rubric found in the packet delivered to you. If you do not have access to PowerPoint, you can use Microsoft Word or write out your ideas on paper. Write out the content that you would include in the presentation, clearly indicating when slide begins and ends. To get credit for graphics, you can draw them or describe the type of graphic that you would look to include for each slide.

Bledsoe Macroeconomics P a g e | 8 Here are the timelines for helping you develop your paper in a timely manner to insure its completion: 3rd Week of Class: Project idea due to instructor - 10 points 10th Week of Class: Rough Draft DUE! - 40 points 14th Week of Class: Final Draft of paper DUE! - 100 points 15th Week of Class: PowerPoint Presentation - 50 points Each of the points of time must be adhered to and the product delivered to earn your full points. NO STEP CAN BE SKIPPED AND STILL EARN THE FULL POINTS FOR THE MISSING STEP. You will receive a packet of rubrics, checklists, and a sample APA paper. These will help clarify the project.

Final Examination:

The final examination will be cumulative; thus, it will contain information from all the chapters covered during the examination. The final examination is worth 80 points and will consist of 80 multiple choice questions.

You may take your own hand written notes to use on exam. It is recommended you save and use the notes from previous unit exams. Notes must be submitted with exam and will be returned to you.

Grade Updates:

You will be able to check on your grade throughout the semester using Canvas:

Bledsoe Macroeconomics P a g e | 9 DATE READING WORK DUE EXAMINATIONS

Week 1 Introduction Discussion (8/22) File Upload Assignment

Week 2 Unit 1: Read Unit 1 Module Unit 1 Assignment (8/29) and Text Chs. 1 - 2 Unit 1 Discussion Post

Week 3 Paper Topic Unit 1 Exam (9/5) Unit 1 Discussion Responses

Week 5 Unit 2 Exam (9/19) Unit 2 Discussion Responses

Rough Draft

Policy Scenario

Bledsoe Macroeconomics P a g e | 10 Week 14 (11/21) Final Draft

DATE READING WORK DUE EXAMINATIONS

Week 15 Unit 7: Read Unit 4 Module Unit 7 Assignment (11/28) and Text Chs. 32- 33 PowerPoint Presentation

Week 16 Unit 7 Exam (12/5)

Week 17 Finals Week FINAL DUE MON DEC 12 FINAL EXAMINATION (12/12)

**NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to change the scope and sequence to meet the needs of each class.

Bledsoe Macroeconomics P a g e | 11