Introduction to Macroeconomics syllabus

Long Island University
C. W. Post Campus
Economics Department

Introduction to Macroeconomics

ECO11 Sections 1 and 3 Fall 2009

Mondays and Wednesdays 11:00–12:20 and 2:00–3:20

Course’s Description: (From the Undergraduate Bulletin 2008–2010) This course discusses the important economic theories and concepts that facilitate understanding economic events and questions. Its main focus is on analyzing the behavior of important economic aggregates such as national income, unemployment, inflation, interest rates, exchange rates, and economic growth. The effects of the government’s monetary and fiscal policies on economic growth and inflation are also examined. Every Semester, 3 credits

Textbook: Principles of Macroeconomics, Fifth Edition, by N. Gregory Mankiw, South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason, Ohio, 2009, ISBN 9780324589993. (Note: Principles of Economics, Fifth Edition, by N. Gregory Mankiw, South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason, Ohio, 2009, ISBN 9780324589979, would be a perfectly good substitute. A copy of this book will be kept on reserve for you at the library’s circulation desk throughout the semester.)

Chapters to be covered: I would like to cover chapters 3–6, and 10–23 of the textbook. (However, I typically run out of time to teach some of the later chapters; see the Table of Contents.) As only about 35 hours of lectures—34 hours and 40 minutes to be precise—have been scheduled for this course, we will have to move rapidly. This is one of several reasons why your reading should stay one step ahead of the lectures. Reading each chapter before it is discussed in class is a sure way of raising your chances of success in this course.

Recommended Study Guide: Study Guide for N. Gregory Mankiw’s "Principles of Economics" by David R. Hakes, South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason, Ohio, 2009, ISBN: 9780324591187. This study guide is recommended but not required. A copy of this book will be kept on reserve for you at the library’s circulation desk throughout the semester.

Examinations and Grading: Your grade will be based on your performance in the Midterm, the Final, some in-class quizzes, and some homework assignments. In preparing the course grade I will use the following weights: 30% for the Final, 30% for the Midterm, 20% for the quizzes, and 20% for the homework assignments.

The Midterm will be held on Wednesday, October 21, and the Final will be held during Finals Week. The Final will be cumulative: that is, it will be based on all material taught in the course.

I will give short in-class quizzes—with adequate notice—throughout the semester. I will count only your four highest quiz scores and these will have a collective weight of 20% in your course grade, as I said earlier.

The homework assignments will consist of computer-graded online quizzes within the WebCT course management system. You will have to log on at http://webct-fe.liu.edu and then go to the WebCT page for this course to find and complete the online homework assignments. To log on at http://webct-fe.liu.edu, use the firstname.lastname format as your username. Your password should be the same password you use to access our My LIU Web portal.

If you do not have a My LIU password, please go to http://www.liu.edu/it/cwpost/webct_info.html for further instructions. (This page also has links to documents that explain how to use WebCT.) If you are still unable to log on to WebCT, please contact the Office of Information Technology. You could email them at webct@cwpost.liu.edu or call them at 516 299 2281 or go to their offices on the main floor of the Library building.

Absences	BPG
6	B+
8	B
10	B-
12	C+
14 or more	D

Attendance Policy: The best possible grade (BPG) that you could get will depend on the number of your absences; see the accompanying table for details. You will be marked absent if you are late for a lecture by ten minutes or more or if you leave early or if you are not attentive in class.

No make-up tests will be given for the Midterm or the Final unless there are compelling medical reasons supported by a valid doctor's note. In case you cannot take a test at the scheduled time, you (or someone representing you) must inform me of the reason(s) not later than twenty-four hours after the test. Ideally, I should be told before the test. The reason(s) you give for missing a test will affect my decision on whether or not you should get a make-up test but it will not affect your BPG. No make-ups will be given for the quizzes. Homework assignments completed late will not count.

Contact Information: My office is at Room 206, Hoxie Hall (across from the Bookstore). My office phone number is (516) 299 2405/2321. My e-mail address is uroy@liu.edu. My own Web site is at http://myweb.liu.edu/~uroy/. My mailing address is: Udayan Roy, Economics Department, Long Island University, Brookville, NY 11548.

Office Hours: My office hours are: 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and 4.00 p.m.–5.30 p.m. on Wednesdays. For any other hours, a prior appointment will be necessary. Please stop by whenever you need any help with your coursework.

Web Sites: The course's Web site is at http://myweb.liu.edu/~uroy/eco11/. The Web site for this course's textbook is at http://websites.swlearning.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=0324224729&discipline_number=413. It has a lot of material that might be of use to you.

Have a great semester!