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ECON 219 - 002 Syllabus
Spring 2008

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 - 3:15 PM, TLS 154

Instructor:

Steven R. Cunningham

Office Hours:

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 – 11:00 AM

Office:

Monteith 418

Instructor’s Phone:

(860) 486-3550

Department Phone:

(860) 486-4633

Fax Phone:

(860) 486-4463

Instructor’s Email:

Steven.R.Cunningham@uconn.edu

Instructor’s Website:

http://professorcunningham.com/

Course Website: http://econ219.com/
Teaching Assistant 
Office Hours

 

IMPORTANT!!! FINAL EXAM
Wednesday, May 7, 3:30-5:30 PM  ARJONA 143

Text

 Summary

This is the core course in macroeconomic theory for undergraduates. It provides a broad-based survey of the field of macroeconomics, focusing on behavioral relationships and structural models. The course material covers consumer and firm behavior, aggregate supply and demand, models promoted by various schools of economic thought, money and the financial system, the role of government in the marketplace, and macroeconomic policy. The student should leave the course with an understanding of current and recent theories of macroeconomic structure and policy.

Organization and Grading

Two lectures per week. Grades are based upon a mid-term exam (40%), a final exam (40%), and homework and in-class quizzes (20%).   

COURSE SCHEDULE

Week 1: January 22 & 24
Introduction. [Ch. 1]
Review and Methodology.
Key Issues: Growth, Stabilization, etc.
Chapter 1 Slides

Week 2: January 29 & 31
Measurement of Macroeconomic Variables. [Ch. 2]
Classical Macroeconomics (I): Equilibrium Output and Employment [Ch. 3]
The Real Sector. 
Chapter 2 Slides 
Chapter 3 Slides

Week 3: February 5 & 7
Classical Macroeconomics (II): System: Money, Prices, and Interest. [Ch. 4]
The Monetary Sector. The Quantity Theory.
Chapter 4 Slides

Week 4: February 12 & 14
The Keynesian System (I): The Role of Aggregate Demand. [Ch. 6]
Keynesian Consumption Function.
Aggregate Expenditure Model.
Multipliers
Chapter 6 Slides

Week 5: February 19 & 21
The Keynesian System (II): Money, Interest, and Income  [Ch. 7]
IS-LM. Derivation and Shifts of the curves.
Money. Liquidity and Investment Traps.
Chapter 7 Slides

Week 6: February 26 & 28
The Keynesian System (III): Policy in the IS-LM Model [Ch. 8]
The Keynesian System (IV): AS-AD [Chapter 9]
Chapter 8 Slides
Chapter 9 Slides

Week 7: March 4 & March 6
MID-TERM EXAM (Thursday)

Week 8: March 11 & 13
SPRING BREAK

Week 9: March 18 & 20
Consumption and Investment [Ch. 21]
Chapter 21 Slides

Week 10: March 25 & 27
The Monetarist Counterrevolution. [Ch. 10]
Chapter 10 Slides

Week 11: April 1 & 3
Output, Inflation, and Unemployment: Alternative Views [Ch. 11]
Phillips Curve.
Chapter 11 Slides

Week 12: April 8 & 10
Rational Expectations and New Classical Macroeconomics [Ch. 12]
Real Business Cycles and New Keynesian Economics [Ch. 13]
Transactions Costs, Insider-Outsider models, Efficiency Wages, Menu Costs, etc.
Contracting Models.
Macroeconomic Models: A Summary  [Ch. 14]
Chapter 12 Slides
Chapter 13 Slides

Week 13: April 15 & 17
The Money Supply and the Banking System [Ch. 17)
Monetary Policy [Ch. 18]
Chapter 17-18 Slides

Week 14: April 22 & 24
Fiscal Stabilization Policy [Ch. 19]
Budgets and Deficits
Automatic Stabilizers
Chapter 19 Slides

Week 15: April 29 & May 1
Policies to Promote Economic Growth [Ch. 20]
Supply-side issues. Reaganomics.

FINAL EXAM (According to the Preliminary University Exam Schedule)
Wednesday, May 7, 3:30-5:30 PM