Course Texts and Aplia

You need to purchase two items for the course.

1. The textbook for the course is the Principles of Macroeconomics by Robert H. Frank and Ben S. Bernanke. The text is available at the campus bookstore.

2. You also need to purchase an Aplia student account for the course. The URL for Aplia is: www.aplia.com. The code for our class is Y9TH-Q6UB-L7AV. There are three ways to purchase the Aplia account. If you purchased a new text at the bookstore, your text came with a card for Aplia access. If you purchased a used text, you will need to buy an Aplia card, also available at the bookstore. Finally, you may purchase a black and white version of the text and Aplia access through the Aplia web site itself.

The Aplia materials include practice problems, graded problems, news analyses, and experiments. Three days of the course are devoted to running experiments on the Aplia web site. You should create your account right away. There are two graded assignments for the first week of class. If you do not set up your account by noon on Saturday of the first week of class, you will be automatically dropped from the course.

I will also be using the online Wall Street Journal on a regular basis, and some students always ask about how to get a student subscription to the Journal. The Journal offers a student subscription. This link is given for your convenience if you wish to subscribe. Please note that a subscription is not required. The link is given for the convenience of any student who wishes to subscribe. For the record, I pay full subscription price for my personal copy.

I check my email at least twice a day. Try to email me the most important question or topic you would like to see discussed before each class period. If I know your questions before class, we can make better use of class time.

Scope, Content, and Expected Learning Outcomes

In terms of content, Economics 100 is a standard macroeconomic principles course. The course covers basic economic concepts and methods traditionally covered in a macroeconomics principles course. Emphasis is given to the measurement, determination, and stability of national income; monetary and fiscal policy; and, international trade and balance of payments problems and policies. The Aplia web site allows active learning assignments and experiments to be integrated into the structure of the course.

Teaching Style

The course is conducted in a lecture-discussion format. Lectures emphasize important or difficult points in the reading. Since the course material builds over the semester, it is important that you keep up with the reading and do not fall behind.

I feel very strongly that office hours are an extension of class time. When you have trouble with some concept or argument, I expect you to come in during office hours or to set up an appointment.

Grading Policy

There are two exams; a midterm and a final. The first midterm counts 100 points. The final exam counts 150 points. The Aplia graded assignments will also be weighted to count 100 points.

Grades are based on your relative position in the class and on my judgment as to what letter grade is appropriate for the point distribution. Effort and improvement are taken into account in borderline cases.

Exam Policy

Should you miss an exam, you will be allowed to take a make-up exam only if you have a compelling reason, such as illness or an unavoidable family obligation. You should make every effort to contact me as soon as you know that you will miss an exam. Please note that all Aplia graded assignments have specific due times. If you do not complete the assignment by the due time, you will receive a zero for the assignment.

I will provide all exam answer sheets. You are not allowed to bring any calculators or personal electronic devices such as cell phones or iPods to an exam.

Cheating Policy

If you get caught cheating on an exam, I will give you an "F" for the course. If you get caught cheating on any of the Aplia assignments, you will have to do a large number of new problems to stay in the course. The cheating infraction will also be recorded in the office of the University Disciplinary Officer.

Reference Sites for Macroeconomic Issues

At various times during the semester, we will look at information on some of the following web sites. You should think about these web sites as reference sources for macroeconomic data and issues.

Resources for Economists on the Internet
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Economic Report of the President
Congressional Budget Office
Federal Reserve
National Bureau of Economic Research
Economic Statistics Briefing Room
A Guide to the NIPA's
How the Government Measures Unemployment
The Balance of Payments
BEA International Economic Accounts
CBO's Method for Estimating Potential Output
Business Cycle Dates
NBER November 2001 Business Cycles Memo
NBER July 2003 Update
Watching the Fed Funds Rate

Text Assignments