Mrs. L. Templer

Office: I-323

Office Hours: MW 10:00 – 12:00

                      or by appointment

Ph: 661-362-3375

Email: lea.templer@canyons.edu

 

                            

         Fall 2011

    Section 83472
ECONOMICS 201                                             

Course Title: Macroeconomics                      

Course Credit: 3 units       

 

Student Learning Outcome: Analyze and evaluate the problem of scarcity throughout markets by applying and evaluating the Classical and Keynesian solutions, in terms of growth, inflation and unemployment.

 

This is a 100% online class – you will be working on your own – but there are deadlines. There will be no class meetings. The deadlines end at 11:55 pm. I will not accept any late assignments, papers, exams,  or anything else. The exams will be online and timed.  In case of an emergency, I will reopen exams or quizzes. You may occasionally go over the time limit – I will accept an exam if it is within a minute of the time limit. You will see (!) an exclamation point instead of a grade when you exceed the time limit. I will open your assignment and decide whether to accept it and give you a grade or not accept and give you a zero.

 

You can always email me if you run into problems or questions about the class or the course material. I will email you back within 24 hours of receiving your email, most of the time it will be sooner than that.  If you call me – there is a chance that I may not get the message in time to deal with your questions. As this is an 100% online class – I am on campus Monday through Thursday.

 

If you have technical problems, please contact our College Blackboard Administrator – his email is posted on the bb.canyons.edu log-in page. Here is the information again:

 

Student Tech Support:
Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Friday 8:00 am - 1:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. Email will be replied to within 24 business hours. If you are having problems within your course with assignments, tests and the like, please contact your instructor.
Email: bbsupport@canyons.edu
Phone Number: 661-362-3344
If you are having problems within your course with assignments, tests and the like, please contact your instructor.

If you need help or answers about Blackboard see the web links listed below:

Helpful Links:
Instructor Orientation Letters
Blackboard Tutorial
Blackboard FAQ's

                       

                   

              

                                   

·         REQUIRED: Registration and Access to the Web site: Thinkwell’s Macroeconomics with Steven Tomlinson

 

·         MEETING DATE: There are no meeting dates

·         WEB SITES

o   Thinkwell’s web site:   http://www.thinkwell.com

o   Blackboard’s web site:   http://bb8.canyons.edu

 

·         REGISTERING IN THE BLACKBOARD WEB SITE – to not be dropped from the class:

·         To have access and register in the Blackboard web site, students need to follow the instructions:

    1. The Blackboard web address is:    http://bb8.canyons.edu
    2. You should see  Section 83472 - Econ 201Fa11 in the list of courses available to you when you log in.
    3. Student usernames will be in the form of student’s first initial + student’s last initial + last five digits of student ID number.

                                    For example:

                                              First name:  John

                                              Last name:   Doe

                                              ID #:       0011223

                                              Username:   0011223 (use your full student ID number)

    1. All student passwords are:   “student” (If you are or have been enrolled in other Blackboard section – use the same password as in the other sections)
    2. To change your password - Go to Tools:
      • From Personal Information
        • Click on “Edit Personal Information” ŕ enter the email address you will be using for this course.
        • Click on “Change Password” ŕ change your password – you will be the only one to know this password! I will not have access to this information – write it down somewhere you can find it!
    3. This must be done by August 24th to earn 5 bonus points.

 

·         REGISTERING FOR THE THINKWELL WEB SITE – to not be dropped from the class:

·         Thinkwell’s web site address:  http://www.thinkwell.com   You can either go directly to the Thinkwell website: pay for the authorization to access the website and register as a student in the class or buy the access code at the COC bookstore and then register for the class at the Thinkwell website..

·         Student needs to register and log in by August 24th to earn 5 bonus points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         HINTS FOR SUCCEEDING IN A WEB-BASED COURSE:

            1. Make time for watching the CD lessons. It will take you a lot more time than you think to

               finish.

            2. The textbook and the study guide that I use for the lecture-based classes, Arnold’s

                Macroeconomics, 9th Edition, is available to you in the Library at the reserve desk.

            3. For those of you who are visual learners, you can print the script from the video lessons.

                The transcripts are available on the Thinkwell website.

            4. The NOTES are also available on the Thinkwell website or the bookstore – just be careful

                if you choose to print it – you will use up the red ink in your color cartridge – print in grey

                tones.

            5. Make sure that your computer is up to snuff.

            6. Be aware that your Internet access may not always be there when you want it. Company

                 servers sometimes crash too! 

            7. Be aware that during certain hours, the Internet is slower than other times.

            8. When on the Blackboard website – taking quizzes – do not save – just hit “Submit” once!

            9. If you need to get in touch with the Thinkwell tech support – they are located in Houston,

                Texas – they are 2 hours ahead of us – just remember to take that into account.

           

 

·         STUDENT EVALUATION:

      Exams (3 @ 100 points each)                     300 points

      Final Exam                                                200 points

      Assignments (14 @ 10 points each)            140 points                    

      Discussion Board

               (8 assignments@ 20 points each)       160 points

      Total Possible points                      810 points

Note: The total possible points shown here will not match the total points on Blackboard! – There are bonus points available at the beginning of the semester – none at the end of the semester!

 

·         The  lowest  exam score or one half of the FINAL EXAM SCORE may  be dropped (You must complete the entire exam). If you miss an exam, then you have self selected the exam that you drop. Exams will not be individually rescheduled. There will be no make up exams. The final exam is required of everyone. The lowest two quizzes will automatically be dropped.

 

·         GRADE EARNED:                            

      A  -  90%     B  -  80%   C  -  70%    D  -  60%   

 

·         CHEATING  - Any  student  caught cheating on an exam  receives  a drop/fail for the class. No exceptions.

·         DROP  DATE - It is the student's responsibility to drop a  class before, October 14th, otherwise it may lead to a failing grade for the class.

·         ADD DEADLINE - The last day to add a class is September 2nd

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         WHAT DO I NEED TO DO FOR THIS CLASS? For due dates: you may work ahead within a unit, but the last day to do the homework assignments, discussion board assignments, and exams are listed throughout the syllabus as well as on the calendar on the last pages of the syllabus.

 

  1. WATCH  the Thinkwell videos on the Thinkwell website
  2. EXERCISES: (available on the Thinkwell web site)

            -    These are available as practice questions for you. You may do the multiple choice questions

                  as many times as you wish. When you submit – you will get the answers.

-          This is not an extra credit assignment.

  1. HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS: (available on the Blackboard website – click on Homework)

-          These are weekly assignments worth 10 points each.

-          You will be given a set of application problems/short essays to turn in by Thursday of each week. (all assignments are due by 11:55 pm of the given date)

-          See Pages 10-11 of the syllabus for homework assignments and their due dates

-          I will grade them and give you feedback as soon as possible after the deadline.

 

  1. DISCUSSION BOARD ASSIGNMENTS:

-          For each section of the course, there will be two posted reading assignment per unit on the Blackboard web site:  click on Groups  ŕ Discussion Board Assignments

-          You will be assigned a group by August 24th for you to post your discussion board assignments.

-          The due date will always be the first date for the answers to the questions and day after for you to comment on two (2) other students’ answers to the questions.

-          I will post two articles and questions at the beginning of each unit.

-          The due dates are: DB #1 – by  9/5 for questions and by 9/6 for comments

DB #2 – by  9/12 for questions and by 9/13 for comments

                                                DB #3 – by  9/26 for questions and by 9/27 for comments

                                                DB #4 – by  10/10 for questions and by 10/11 for comments

                                                DB #5 – by  10/24 for questions and by 10/25  for comments

                                                DB #6 – by 11/7 for questions and by 11/8 for comments

                                                DB #7 – by 11/21 for questions and by 11/22 for comments

                                                DB #8 – by 11/28 for questions and by 11/29  for comments   

             

      -     You must post an answer, comment on the Questions using macroeconomic analysis. You must then comment on two other students’ comments.

      -     Each participation will be worth up to 20 points.

-       To earn the 20 points:

-           you need to first summarize the article then analyze its content

       as it pertains to specific concepts within the course material: 10 points

-             You must then comment on two other students’ comments. You cannot just agree or disagree. You must evaluate and then give your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with your fellow students’ comments:  each comments – 5 points

 

 

 

5.   EXAMS:

·         The exams are available online in Exams  - you will have 5 days to do the exams

·         Each exam has two parts – part A: Multiple Choice; part B: essays – You will have 1 hour 20 minutes for the unit exams.

·         The first 3 exams are worth 100 points, the final exam is worth 200 points – it is a two part exam: exam on the last unit and exam covering the entire content of the course.

·         Part A of the first 3 exam and the first half of the final will consist of 30 multiple choice questions worth 2 points each taken from the exercises and the material covered in the videos.

·         Part B of the first 3 exams will consists of 4 short essays

·         Part B of the  final exam part will consist of 4 short essays on the last unit and 4 larger essays that come either from the readings or applications of the material learned during the course

·         You will have 2 hours to take the final exam.

 

 

Video Schedule

 1  Introduction to Economics

    1.1 The Basics of Economics
        1.1.1 Defining Economics (Disc 1, 6:36)
        1.1.2 What Economists Do (Disc 1, 13:20)
        1.1.3 Macroeconomics and Microeconomics (Disc 1, 11:21)
        1.1.4 An Overview of Economic Systems (Disc 1, 10:50)
        1.1.5 Case Study: The Work of Adam Smith (Disc 1, 8:58)

    1.2 Graphs in Economics
        1.2.1 Using Graphs to Understand Direct Relationships (Disc 1, 9:50)
        1.2.2 Plotting a Linear Relationship between Two Variables (Disc 1, 9:57)
        1.2.3 Changing the Intercept of a Linear Function (Disc 1, 8:42)
        1.2.4 Understanding the Slope of a Linear Function (Disc 1, 7:28)

    1.3 Demand
        1.3.1 Determining the Components of Demand (Disc 1, 11:58)
        1.3.2 Understanding the Basics of a Demand Curve (Disc 1, 11:54)
        1.3.3 Analyzing Shifts in the Demand Curve (Disc 1, 8:13)
        1.3.4 Understanding Changes in Other Demand Variables (Disc 1, 10:43)
        1.3.5 Deriving a Market Demand Curve (Disc 1, 9:16)

    1.4 Supply
        1.4.1 Determining the Components of Supply (Disc 1, 6:00)
        1.4.2 Deriving a Supply Curve (Disc 1, 9:49)
        1.4.3 Understanding a Change in Supply versus a Change in Quantity Supplied (Disc 1, 6:52)
        1.4.4 Analyzing Changes in Other Supply Variables (Disc 1, 3:36)
        1.4.5 Deriving a Market Supply Curve (Disc 1, 7:16)

    1.5 Competitive Equilibrium
        1.5.1 Determining a Competitive Equilibrium (Disc 1, 11:04)
        1.5.2 Defining Comparative Statics (Disc 1, 7:02)
        1.5.3 Classifying Comparative Statics (Disc 1, 13:04

Exam #1 – From Sept 15 to Sept 19th – 11:55 pm

 

  2  Macroeconomic Measurements

    2.1 Aggregate Output and Income
        2.1.1 The Production Possibilities Frontier: Macroeconomic Applications (Disc 1, 18:18)
        2.1.2 The Circular Flow Model (Disc 1, 9:38)
        2.1.3 Real GDP (Disc 1, 16:03)
        2.1.4 The New BEA Procedure for Calculating Real GDP (Disc 1, 8:15)
        2.1.5 Limitations of GDP and Alternative Indexes (Disc 1, 10:40)
        2.1.6 Hot Topic: Feminist Economics and the Measurement of GDP (Disc 1, 5:08)
        2.1.7 Hot Topic: Off the Books: The Underground Economy (Disc 1, 5:43)


    2.2 Approaches to Calculating GDP
        2.2.1 The Expenditures Approach (Disc 1, 9:29)
        2.2.2 The Income Approach (Disc 1, 7:02)
        2.2.3 Hot Topic: The Impact of E-commerce on the Economy (Disc 1, 6:07)

    2.3 Cost of Living
        2.3.1 Changes in the Cost of Living and the CPI (Disc 1, 9:59)
        2.3.2 Case Study: The Index of Leading Economic Indicators (Disc 1, 6:30)
        2.3.3 Calculating the Rate of Inflation (Disc 1, 10:12)
        2.3.4 Comparing the CPI and the GDP Deflator (Disc 1, 6:02)

  3  Economic Fluctuations: Unemployment and Inflation

    3.1 The Business Cycle
        3.1.1 Recessions, Depressions, and Booms (Disc 1, 10:32)
        3.1.2 Theoretical Explanations for Cycles (Disc 1, 10:09)

    3.2 Measuring Unemployment
        3.2.1 Measuring the Labor Force and Unemployment (Disc 1, 9:30)
        3.2.2 Types of Unemployment (Disc 1, 9:37)
        3.2.3 Hot Topic: The Unemployment Rate and the Crime Rate (Disc 1, 3:50)
        3.2.4 Hot Topic: Too Old to Work: Are We Discarding Valuable Workers? (Disc 1, 6:04)

    3.3 The Natural Rate of Unemployment
        3.3.1 Understanding the Natural Rate of Unemployment (Disc 1, 8:37)

    3.4 Causes of Unemployment
        3.4.1 Minimum Wage Laws (Disc 1, 7:31)
        3.4.2 An Analysis of Labor Unions and Unemployment (Disc 1, 7:27)
        3.4.3 Case Study:" La Causa": The United Farm Workers (Disc 1, 5:10)
        3.4.4 The Theory of Efficiency Wages (Disc 1, 10:54)
        3.4.5 Unemployment Insurance (Disc 1, 6:36)

    3.5 Inflation
        3.5.1 Inflation, Deflation, Stagflation, and Hyperinflation (Disc 1, 9:34)
        3.5.2 Inflation and Purchasing Power (Disc 1, 7:45)
        3.5.3 Short-Run Causes: Demand-Pull and Cost-Push Inflation (Disc 1, 9:59)
        3.5.4 The Quantity Theory of Money (Disc 1, 11:58)
        3.5.5 The Costs of Inflation (Disc 1, 9:23)
        3.5.6 Case Study: Behavior during Hyperinflation (Disc 1, 6:14)

Exam #2 – From October 13th to October 17th – 11:55 pm

  4  Aggregate Expenditures Model

    4.1 Historical Background
        4.1.1 Say's Law and Keynes: An Overview (Disc 1, 8:35)
        4.1.2 Case Study: John Maynard Keynes (Disc 1, 6:15)
 

 4.2 Components of Aggregate Expenditures
        4.2.1 The Aggregate Expenditures Identity (Disc 2, 14:05)
        4.2.2 Average and Marginal Propensities to Consume and Save (Disc 2, 12:45)
        4.2.3 The Aggregate Expenditures Model (Disc 2, 13:05)
        4.2.4 Case Study: The Paradox of Thrift (Disc 2, 4:44)
        4.2.5 Autonomous Investment (Disc 2, 13:26)

    4.3 Equilibrium GDP
        4.3.1 The Expenditures Approach and the Saving Approach (Disc 2, 17:58)

    4.4 The Multipliers
        4.4.1 Applications of the Multipliers (Disc 2, 14:23)

    4.5 Comparative Statics: The AE Model
        4.5.1 Changes in Aggregate Expenditures (Disc 2, 14:27)
        4.5.2 Changes in Taxes (Disc 2, 18:40)
        4.5.3 Changes in Net Exports (Disc 2, 10:28)
        4.5.4 Hot Topic: Does Social Security Need to Be "Saved"? (Disc 2, 17:44)

    4.6 Keynes and the Aggregate Expenditures Model
        4.6.1 Relating the Keynesian Model to the AD/AS Model (Disc 2, 11:07)

    4.7 The Multipliers
        4.7.1 Deriving the Multipliers (Disc 2, 8:41)
        4.7.2 Case Study: The Paradox of Thrift (Disc 2, 4:44)
        4.7.3 Hot Topic: Does Social Security Need to Be "Saved"? (Disc 2, 17:44)

 

  5  Money: Banking, Spending, Saving, and Investing

    5.1 Money in the Economy
        5.1.1 The Money Supply (Disc 2, 10:42)
        5.1.2 Case Study: The Cashless Society (Disc 2, 8:18)
        5.1.3 Determinants of Money Demand (Disc 2, 9:00)
        5.1.4 The Money Market (Disc 2, 10:02)

    5.2 Financial Markets
        5.2.1 Financial Markets and Intermediaries (Disc 2, 12:04)
        5.2.2 Hot Topic: Should the U.S. Government Bail Out Failing Financial Institutions? (Disc 2, 8:35)
        5.2.3 Stocks and Bonds (Disc 2, 11:32)
        5.2.4 The Price of Bonds and the Interest Rate (Disc 2, 12:28)

    5.3 The Fed
        5.3.1 The Federal Reserve System (Disc 2, 8:13)
        5.3.2 Hot Topic: Are Reserve Requirements Necessary? (Disc 2, 7:11)
        5.3.3 The Fed's Tools of Monetary Policy (Disc 2, 9:47)

  5.4 The Creation of Money
        5.4.1 How Goldsmiths Created Money (Disc 2, 7:40)
        5.4.2 Case Study: Cigarettes As Money (Disc 2, 6:07)
        5.4.3 How Banks Create Money (Disc 2, 12:09)
        5.4.4 How the Fed Changes the Money Supply (Disc 2, 10:06)

5.5 Saving and Investment
        5.5.1 Investment Demand (Disc 2, 11:36)
        5.5.2 The Market for Loanable Funds and Government Policy (Disc 2, 8:09)
        5.5.3 Equilibrium in the Money Market (Disc 2, 9:49)

Exam #3 – From November 10th to November 14th – 11:55 pm

  6  Aggregate Demand/Aggregate Supply Model

    6.1 Aggregate Demand
        6.1.1 Deriving the Aggregate Demand Curve (Disc 2, 7:26)
        6.1.2 Movement along the Aggregate Demand Curve (Disc 2, 9:15)
        6.1.3 Shifts in Aggregate Demand (Disc 2, 6:03)

    6.2 Aggregate Supply
        6.2.1 The Short-Run Aggregate Supply Curve (Disc 2, 9:03)
        6.2.2 The Labor Market (Disc 2, 7:20)
        6.2.3 The Long-Run Aggregate Supply Curve (Disc 2, 11:17)


 

 6.3 Differences in the Long Run and the Short Run
        6.3.1 The Classical View (Disc 2, 9:01)
        6.3.2 Equilibrium in the Long Run and the Short Run (Disc 2, 12:10)
        6.3.3 Expectations in the Long Run and the Short Run (Disc 2, 14:36)
        6.3.4 Long-Run Macroeconomic Equilibrium (Disc 2, 16:55)
        6.3.5 Case Study: The U.S. National Debt (Disc 2, 8:46)

    6.4 The Phillips Curve
        6.4.1 Definitions and the Historical Record (Disc 2, 13:38)
        6.4.2 Expectations and the Phillips Curve (Disc 2, 9:15)
        6.4.3 Hot Topic: Is the Roller Coaster Ride Over? The Future of the Business Cycle (Disc 2, 7:39)

  7  Monetary and Fiscal Policy

    7.1 Recessions and Booms
        7.1.1 Unanticipated Changes in Aggregate Demand (Disc 2, 12:04)
        7.1.2 Unanticipated Changes in Aggregate Supply (Disc 2, 15:43)

    7.2 Fiscal Policy : The Mainstream
        7.2.1 Fiscal Policy Using the AD/AS Model (Disc 3, 16:10)
        7.2.2 The Market for Loanable Funds and Crowding Out (Disc 3, 11:46)
        7.2.3 Timing Problems and the AD/AS Model (Disc 3, 6:58)
        7.2.4 Automatic Stabilizers (Disc 3, 8:40)
        7.2.5 Hot Topic: The Political Business Cycle (Disc 3, 3:35)

    7.3 Fiscal Policy: Alternative Approaches
        7.3.1 New Keynesian and New Classical Approaches to Fiscal Policy (Disc 3, 11:03)
        7.3.2 Supply-Side Policy (Disc 3, 5:26)

    7.4 Monetary Policy: The Mainstream
        7.4.1 The Quantity Theory of Money (review) (Disc 3, 9:27)
        7.4.2 Monetary Policy Using the AD/AS Model (Disc 3, 9:56)
        7.4.3 Monetary Responses to Changes in the Economy (Disc 3, 12:20)
        7.4.4 Monetary Policy: Accommodation (Disc 3, 9:41)
        7.4.5 Hot Topic: Should Monetary Policy Be Made by Rule or Discretion? (Disc 3, 6:34)
 7.5 Monetary Policy: Alternative Approaches
        7.5.1 New Keynesians versus Monetarists (Disc 3, 11:23)
        7.5.2 New Classical Macroeconomics (Disc 3, 8:31)
        7.5.3 Case Study: Policy in the Great Depression (Disc 3, 8:22)

 

  8  International Focus

    8.1 Microeconomics Background
        8.1.1 Determining the Difference between a Closed Economy and an Open Economy (Disc 3, 8:56)
        8.1.2 Understanding Exports in an Open Economy (Disc 3, 5:23)
        8.1.3 Analyzing a Change in Equilibrium in an Open Economy (Disc 3, 4:03)
        8.1.4 Analyzing International Trade Using Comparative Advantage (Disc 3, 25:35)

    8.2 Exports, Imports, and Accounting
        8.2.1 The International Flow of Goods and Services (Disc 3, 15:13)
        8.2.2 Balance of Payments (Disc 3, 19:39)
        8.2.3 Trade Balances (Disc 3, 15:23)

    8.3 Government Policies
        8.3.1 Government Budget Deficits and Trade (Disc 3, 7:18)
        8.3.2 Trade Policy (Disc 3, 7:18)
        8.3.3 Hot Topic: Winners and Losers in NAFTA (Disc 3, 4:20)

Final Exam – From December 1st to December 5th – 11:55 pm

 

 

CLASS CALENDAR DEADLINES

 You may work ahead but all deadlines are set at 11:55 PM on the Blackboard website

 

AUGUST:

        22nd – Class starts

        24th – Register for Blackboard and Thinkwell

                        26th – Bonus Syllabus Quiz – found in Exam section

                26th – Introduce yourself – found by clicking on Discussion Board button

                31st - Homework #1 – Video Sections 1.1-1.2

        SEPTEMBER: 

                2nd – Add Deadline

5th   – Discussion Board #1 answers

6th – Discussion Board #1 comments

7th – Homework #2 – Video Section 1.3

                12th – Discussion Board #2 answers

                13th – Discussion Board #2 comments

                 14th – Homework #3 – Video Sections 1.4-1.5

From September 15th – September 19th – Exam #1 available

                21st – Homework #4 – Video Sections 2.1-2.2

26th – Discussion Board #3 answers

         27th – Discussion Board #3 comments

        28th – Homework #5 – Video Sections 2.3-3.1

OCTOBER:

                5th – Homework #6 – Video Section 3.2-3.3

10th – Discussion Board #4 answers

                11th – Discussion Board #4 comments

                12th – Homework #7 – Video Sections 3.4-3.5

From October 13th – October 17th – Exam #2 available

                14th – Drop Deadline with a W on Transcript

                19st – Homework #8 – Video Sections 4.1-4.4

24th – Discussion Board #5 answers

                25th – Discussion Board #5 comments

                26th – Homework #9 – Video Sections 4.5-4.7

        NOVEMBER:  

2nd – Homework #10 – Video Sections 5.1-5.3

7th – Discussion Board #6 answers

                8th – Discussion Board #6 comments

                9th – Homework #11 – Video Sections 5.4-5.5

                 From November 10th – November 14th – Exam #3 available

                16th – Homework #12 – Video Sections 6.1-6.4

21st – Discussion Board #7 answers

                22nd - Discussion Board #7 comments

                23rd – Homework #13 – Video Sections 7.1-7.5                   

28th – Discussion Board #8 answers

29th - Discussion Board #8 comments

30th - Homework #14 – Video Lessons 8.1-8.3

        DECEMBER:   

                 From December 1st – December 5th – Final Exam available