Essentials of Economics
Syllabus for ECON 1000, Spring 2009

 

NOTE: CONTINUALLY UPDATED!!!

 

 

Instructor:

Steven R. Cunningham

Lecture Hours:

Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 - 11:50 AM, Room PB 36

Office Hours:

Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:00 am – 10:55 AM

Office:

418 Monteith Building

Telephone:

Instructor (860) 486-3550, Fax (860) 486-4463

Instructor’s Email:

Steven.R.Cunningham@uconn.edu

Course Website:

http://econ1000.com

Textbook Website:

MyEconLab.com 

 

Required Texts

 

Summary

This course provides a broad-based survey of economics, including elements of both microeconomics and macroeconomics. NOTE: This is not the course usually required for economics or business majors. Economics or business majors should take the ECON 1201-1202 sequence, or its equivalent. 

 

The course material covers markets and market structure, supply and demand, theory of the firm, macroeconomics and aggregate markets, money and the financial system, the role of government in the marketplace, and policy. Included are discussions of pressing domestic policy issues. The student should leave the course better equipped to understand current and recent economic issues and policies.

 

Organization and Grading

Two lectures per week, one discussion session. Grades are based upon two exams (30% each), a final exam (30%), and  quizzes and homework assignments from discussion sections (10%). 

 

MyEconLab, the online support system for the textbook, is essentially an online, interactive study guide that links directly to the textbook. I urge students to take full advantage of MyEconLab to gain confidence with the material in the course. Some of the graded assignments and exams will be administered through MyEconLab. 

 

 

Discussion Sections

Section

Day-Time

Classroom

Instructor

001D

Wednesday, 3-3:50pm

MONT 441

Bekaroglu

002D

Wednesday, 3-3:50pm

MONT 319

Pantages

003D

Wednesday, 4-4:50pm

MONT 213

Bekaroglu

004D

Cancelled

Cancelled

 

005D

Wednesday, 5-5:50pm

MONT 213

Pantages


Lecture & Exam Schedule

Note: This is the planned schedule, and may have to be modified at any time.

 

 

(1) January 21, 2009

    No Lecture; Introduce Course and Materials
Discussion: 

    No Discussion Sections today (Wednesday)

 

(2) January 26 & 28, 2009

    Chapter 1: Introduction: What is Economics?
    Chapter 2: The Key Principles of Economics

 

(3) February 2 & 4, 2009
Early Drop-Add ends Feb. 2, Monday

    Chapter 3: Demand, Supply, and Market Equilibrium 

 

(4) February 9 & 11, 2009

    Chapter 4: Elasticity: A Measure of Responsiveness 

 

(5) February 16 & 18, 2009

    Chapter 5: Production Technology and Cost 

 

(6) February 23 & 25, 2009

EXAM: Chapters 1 -  5 (Monday)
EXAM INFORMATION

February 27 (Friday)--Mid-semester grade reports due
   Chapter 6: Perfect Competition

 

(7) March 2 & 4, 2009

   Chapter 7: Monopoly and Price Discrimination

     (Note: We will skip Chapters 8 and 9)

 

(8) March 9 & 11, 2009
SPRING BREAK

 

 

(9) March 16 & 18, 2009

    Chapter 10: The Labor Market, Income, and Poverty

 

(10) March 23 & 25, 2009

    Chapter 11: Measuring a Nation's Production and Income

    Chapter 12: Unemployment and Inflation

 

(11) March 30 & April 2, 2009
March 30 (Monday)--last day to drop a course
EXAM: Chapters 6-7 and 10-12 (Monday)
EXAM INFORMATION
    Chapter 13: Why do Economies Grow?

 

(12) April 6 & 8, 2009

    Chapter 14: Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply

 

(13) April 13 & 15, 2009

    Chapter 15: Fiscal Policy

 

(14) April 20 & 22, 2009

    Chapter 16: Money and the Banking System
    Chapter 17: Monetary Policy

 

(15) April 27 & 29, 2009

Friday, May 1 is last day of Spring Semester
    Chapter 18: International Trade and Finance

 

FINAL EXAMS: May 4-9, Final Exam Week*
Chapters 13 – 18

 

*Our final exam will be given according to the University's final exam schedule..