General Information:

Larry Angel

Email: langel@u.washington.edu

Office: Robert Smith Building, RS 190

Spring 2010 Office Hours: 10am - 11am or by appointment.

Announcements

Spring 2010 Announcements:

Some of you have expressed a problem with emails being sent from my UW email account, langel@u.washington.edu.  I'm hoping that it's just a setting problem.  Because I send an email "BCC", hotmail.com & gmail.com might consider me a spammer, so to correct this you need to change your options.

For example in hotmail.com, click on "Options".  Scroll down to "more options".  Under Junk Email, click on "Safe and blocked senders" and enter my email langel@u.washington.edu in "safe senders" and enter langel@u.washington.edu in "safe mailing lists".  This should correct the problem and if not, let me know immediately.  I don't have a gmail account, but I'm more or less assuming the directions are similar.  If you have any questions, let me know.

Syllabus

Course Description:

This course in macroeconomics is an introduction to understanding the aggregate measures in the economy, such as GDP, unemployment and inflation. Our analysis will include examination of monetary and fiscal policies and their effects on the interest rate, inflation, investment, economic activity and the employment of resources. Prereq: Mat 098/102 and ENGL 101 is recommended.

Textbook:

Principles of Macroeconomics byMankiw, N.Gregory, 4th edition or 5th edition. There is a copy placed on reserve at the library and students can borrow Mankiw from the Cultural Center.  Check with the Cultural Center about the rules when you borrow books. 

ECON&202 Schedule:

Economics Daily Schedule

Final (Test 3):

11am class: Monday, June 14th from 1030 to 1230.

6pm class: Tuesday, June 15th from 6pm to 820pm.

*Schedule WILL be adjusted accordingly, so alwasy look to my website for those changes…

Course Objectives

• Demonstrate an understanding of the aggregate economy: Inflation, business cycles, unemployment, fiscal and monetary policies, federal deficits, and international trade and finance.
• Understand the basic tools of finance.
• Become familiar with elasticity specifically its impact on the price of good and the quantity sold.
• Explain the differences between nominal GDP, real GDP, GDP Deflator and Consumer Price Index (CPI).
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve.
• Learn the impacts of monetary and fiscal policies on aggregate demand.

Grading Policy

Test 1, 2 & 3 (Final):           25% each (*approximately*) - 120 points (40 points each)
Quizzes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6       15%                                        - 24   points
HW & Group Activities      5%                                           - 8     points
Participation                         5%                                           - 8      points
*Grade adjustments will be made accordingly*                 160 total points

“NC” or “Inc” will only be given in extreme cases…

Grading Scale:

Test 1 & 2 & 3 (approximately 25% each):  Most of the material will come from the homework, group activities, old tests, and problem solving. There are no make-ups unless you have a written doctor’s excuse or extreme situation.

Quizzes 1- 6(3% each):  Quizzes will cover the group activities, homework, lecture material and chapter readings.  These quizzes will be specifically designed to prepare you for the tests and make sure you completed the homework.  I will also drop the lowest score of your quizzes. The same rule applies to the quizzes: There are no make-ups unless you have a written doctor’s excuse or extreme situation.

Homework (2.5%):  Homework will cover lecture material and chapter readings.  Each homework will consist of roughly 4-5 problems.  On the homework due date, a number of students, selected at random, will present their answers on the board.  I will grade each student on his or her answer and presentation style from a 0 to 5 point scale.  There are NO make-ups, NO exceptions.  It is highly recommended to exchange emails and work in groups for the homework.  Solutions will be posted online right after we review them.

Group Activities (2.5%):  Groups of 4 or 5 will work on questions and one member will present the answers to the class.  You are required to present to the class at least once over the quarter and will be graded the same as the homework, 0 to 5 scale.

Participation & Attendance (5%):  Everyone starts with 5%.  However, cell phone use, texting, being disruptive, and missing class will decrease your score, especially talking in class.  Attendance will be taken formally the first couple of weeks in order to remember everyone’s name.  Unexcused tardiness and absences will result in a reduction in points.  Don’t come to my office hours about points on exams unless it’s an obvious mistake.

Course Policies

Honesty:  Students must turn in their own work; plagiarism and cheating can result in loss of credit or dismissal.

Disabilities:  Students subject to provisions of the ADA:  If you believe you qualify for course adaptations or accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is your responsibility to contact the Disability Support Services officer and provide the appropriate documentation.  If you have already documented a disability or other condition, which would qualify you for accommodations, or if you have emergency medical information or special needs I should know about, please notify me during the first week of class.

Diversity:

Students are required to:
• Respect the dignity of all individuals.
• Promote a culture of respect.
• Respect the privacy, property, and freedom of others.
• Reject bigotry, discrimination, violence, or intimidation of any kind.
• Practice personal and academic integrity and expect it from others.
• Promote the diversity of opinions, ideas and backgrounds, which is the lifeblood of an educational institution.

Tips for Succeeding in my Class:

• Take the prerequisites.  This is a 2nd year course.  You should not be taking this class if this is your 1st or 2nd quarter here at South.
• Read my chapter pdfs and text lectures before class.
• Study in groups.  Teach other students.
• Self-discipline!
• Complete all the assigned problems!

My teaching style: Remember, I’m a student like everyone else in this class, so I understand a lot the issues of being a student.  Currently, I’m a doctoral student at the University of Washington, so I understand the time commitments needed for work and school.  All I ask are the basics:  Golden Rule.  I treat everyone with respect and I expect the same in return.  Everything that I go over in class will be available through my website, so homework and tests will not be a mystery. Students who fail my class: miss class, don’t complete their homework, or are disruptive.  If you come to class, participate, turn in the homework, there’s no reason you shouldn’t get a reasonable grade.
 
Any corrections or questions regarding my syllabus please email me.

Lectures

Group Activities & Comments

Homework Keys & Comments

Old Tests & Keys

Miscellaneous

Syllabus

Grade Report, 11am class

Grade Report, 6pm class

Economics Articles