Economics 104
Spring 2008
The course is taught at the intermediate level and is aimed at sophomores majoring in economics (although students in other majors are welcome). All students are required to have successfully studied introductory macroeconomics and introductory microeconomics (Econ 51 & 52 or the equivalent) along with calculus (Math 30 or the equivalent).
The course meets two times a week. The course requirements are
a short essay, six problem sets, a midterm exam, and a final exam. The
essay will count for 14%, the problem sets for 24%, the midterm for
26%,
and the final for 36% of the course grade. The midterm will be held in
class on Thursday 6 March. The
final exam will be given in the afternoon/evening of Tuesday 13 May.
The textbook for the course is N. Gregory Mankiw, Macroeconomics, 6th edition, Worth Publishers, 2007. Also required is A Term at the Fed by Laurence Meyer. An optional study guide by Roger Kaufman to accompany the text is recommended. All of these are available at the Huntley Bookstore.
The lectures will follow the sequence of topics as they are presented in the text. So you should be reading the text as the course progresses. Problem sets will be assigned from the text and will be discussed in class.
My office and office hours for the fall are as follows:Fletcher 216
607-3769
Mondays 3:30-5:00pm, Wednesdays 8:30-10:00am
and by appointment
Feel free to send me email at lyamane@pitzer.edu
or leave voicemail
at the office 24 hours a day.
I. The Science of Macroeconomics
Ch
1
II. The Data of
Macroeconomics
Ch
2
III. National Income: Its
Production, Distribution and Allocation
Ch
3
Symposium on Retirement Savings, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Summer 2007.
IV. Money and Inflation
Ch
4
Symposium on Monetary Policy, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Fall 2007.
V. The Open Economy
Ch
5
VI. Unemployment
Ch
6
VII. Economic Growth
Chs
7 & 8
Symposium on Global Poverty Reduction, Journal of
Economic Perspectives, Summer
2003.
VIII. Introduction to
Economic Fluctuations
Ch
9
IX. Aggregate Demand
Chs
10, 11
X. Aggregate Demand in an Open Economy
Ch
12
Symposium on
International Financial Architecture, Journal
of Economic Perspectives, Fall 2003.
XI. Aggregate Supply Ch 13
XII. Stabilization Policy
Ch
14
Symposium on Fiscal
Policy, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Summer 2000.
XIII. The Debates Over Government Debt Ch 15
XIV. Consumption
Ch
16
Symposium on
Consumption Behavior, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Summer
2001.
XV. Investment
Ch
17
XVI. Money Supply and Money
Demand
Ch
18
XVII. Business Cycle Theory
Ch
19
XVIII. Lessons and Limits
Epilogue