|
91871 |
ECON 100 A Principles of Economics |
Kris Feder |
. T . Th . |
11:50 am -1:10 pm |
HEG 106 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: Economics & Finance; Environmental & Urban Studies ;
Global & Int’l Studies This course is a one-semester introduction to
the essential ideas of economic analysis. The microeconomics component of the
course develops the basic model of consumer and firm behavior, including demand
and supply, in the context of an idealized competitive market and examines
several ways in which the real world deviates from this model—including
monopoly and other forms of imperfect competition; information problems;
minimum wages and other price controls; taxes; and government regulation. The
macroeconomics component studies the aggregate behavior of modern economies -
the factors leading to economic growth, explanations of booms and recessions,
unemployment, interest rates, inflation, and budget deficits or surpluses – and
the government’s ability (or inability) to use monetary and fiscal policies to
achieve economic goals such as full employment and price stability. This course
replaces the two-semester introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics
sequence and is the foundational course in the economics curriculum.
Prerequisite: passing score on Part I of the Mathematics Diagnostic. Class
size: 22
|
91872 |
ECON 100 B Principles of Economics |
Andy Felkerson |
M . W . . |
11:50 am -1:10 pm |
ALBEE 106 |
SSCI |
See above.
Class size: 22
|
91873 |
ECON 100 C Principles of Economics |
James Green-Armytage |
. T . Th . |
1:30 pm -2:50 pm |
HEG 106 |
SSCI |
See above.
Class size: 22
|
91874 |
ECON 135 Understanding Financial Crises |
Andy Felkerson |
M . W . . |
10:10 am -11:30 am |
ALBEE 106 |
SSCI |
In the fall of 2008 financial systems
worldwide became engulfed in a financial crisis of extraordinary proportions.
Despite the intervention of global authorities, trillions of dollars in
financial wealth disappeared, almost overnight. In the half a decade
since, most developed countries have experienced lackluster economic growth,
which have also impacted social conditions. All this has happened before
and, most certainly, will happen again. The purpose of this course is to
provide students with an introduction to some of the causes and effects of
historical episodes of financial crisis. We will find that while certain
similarities do exist, no two financial crises are exactly the same; that is,
generating from the same causes, or creating the same economic effects, or
being resolved in the same manner. Reviewing approximately four centuries
of financial crisis through the examination of historical sources written by
individuals living through the crises themselves, as well as subsequent
scholarly and popular studies, we will develop a historically-based
understanding of the impact of financial crisis upon social and economic
conditions. In the course of our historical investigation into the
causes and effects of financial crisis, we will attempt to answer such key
questions as: Are financial crises themselves unavoidable? And, if not, what
are the policy options available to authorities in the mitigation and
resolution of financial crises. Class size: 22
|
91875 |
ECON 200 Money and Banking |
Pavlina Tcherneva |
. T . Th . |
10:10 am -11:30 am |
RKC 200 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: Economics & Finance, Global & Int’l Studies An examination of the role of money and
financial intermediaries in determining aggregate economic activity. Interactions
of savers, investors, and regulatory authorities in domestic and international
capital markets are analyzed, and the linkage between the financial system and
the real economy traced. The functions of central banks, commercial banks,
securities dealers, investment banks, and other intermediaries are covered in
detail. The debate over the goals, tools, indicators, and effectiveness of
monetary policy is considered in the light of current national and
international economic problems. Prerequisite:
ECON 100 or ECON 102. Class
size: 20
|
91876 |
ECON 201 Intermediate Microeconomics |
James Green-Armytage |
. T . Th . |
4:40 pm -6:00 pm |
HEG 308 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: Economics and Finance Microeconomics is the
study of how individual economic units (households and firms) interact to
determine outcomes (allocation of goods and services) in a market setting. In
this course, we attempt to achieve the following three objectives: (1)
Understand all the concepts covered in Introduction to Microeconomics in terms
of mathematics; (2) Study advanced topics such as choice under uncertainty and
information asymmetry that have traditionally relied on mathematics for
illustration of ideas; and (3) Learn how to use mathematics to conduct in-depth
economic analysis. In order to meet the last objective, we will devote most of
the weekly “lab” sessions toward problem solving. During the lab sessions,
students are expected to take turns explaining how to solve a particular problem
to the rest of the class. A firm grasp of the materials covered in this course
is essential to reading economics journal articles and pursuing advanced
studies in economics. Prerequisites:
Calculus I and ECON 100. Class size: 22
|
92039 |
ECON 216 EUROPEAN Economic HISTORY |
Olivier Giovannoni |
. . W . F |
10:10 am -11:30 am |
HEG 204 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: Global & Int’l Studies
This course presents the economic development of Europe from its roots in
the
|
91881 |
ECON 229 Introduction to Econometrics |
James Green-Armytage |
M . W . . |
3:10 pm -4:30 pm |
HEG 308 |
MATC |
Cross-listed: Economics & Finance; Environmental &
Urban Studies This is the first of
a two-course sequence designed to explore the tools economists use to summarize
and interpret data. The first half of the course introduces the concepts of
random variables, probability distributions, sampling, descriptive statistics
and statistical inference. The second half of the course focuses on simple and
multiple regression analysis. The emphasis is on acquiring a practical
knowledge of econometric methods (theoretical foundations and advanced
techniques are covered in Econ 329); students will learn how to organize and
analyze data using Excel and STATA, how to read and interpret published
empirical research, and how to carry out an empirical research project. This
course fulfills the statistical methods requirement for the economics major.
Prerequisite: Economics 100 and Pre-calculus.
Class size: 22
|
91878 |
ECON 232 IntERNATIONAl Macroeconomics & Finance |
Olivier Giovannoni |
. . W . F |
1:30 pm -2:50 pm |
ALBEE 106 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: Economics & Finance; Global & Int’l
Studies The course combines
international macroeconomics (exchange rates) and international finance
(financial flows, markets and institutions). We present the important
identities, definitions and theories, and stress real world examples and policy
options. The typical questions addressed are: What’s special about the case of
an open economy? What’s an exchange rate, and does it affect our economies and
policies? What are the pros and cons of a flexible/fixed exchange rate system?
What are FDIs? What is a balance-of-payments crisis? Why do countries default
or go bankrupt? What are the roles and actions of institutions such as the
Central Bank and the IMF? What is an optimum currency area? Is the Euro a
viable enterprise? Numerous real-world examples are presented and the current
policy debates are explored. Highlights include trade with
|
92040 |
ECON 238 Can you Afford to Grow OLD? social security, pensions, and
elder care in an aging society |
Randall Wray |
M . W . . |
1:30 pm – 2:50 pm |
OLIN 202 |
SSCI |
This course explores the financial challenges
facing individuals and society as a whole as the nation ages. Some experts estimate
the “unfunded entitlements” due largely to Social Security and Medicare to
total many tens of trillions of dollars. Many young people today fear that
Social Security will go bankrupt long before they will reach retirement age.
Costs of medical care continue to grow faster than GDP. The Global Financial
Crisis wiped out trillions of dollars of pension fund reserves. Will we be able
to take care of growing numbers of seniors? If Social Security fails, will you
have to support your own parents? Will you be able to accumulate enough
retirement savings to see you through your “golden years”? This course examines
the demographics, the finances, and the public policy aspects of these issues.
Prerequisite: Econ 100
Class size: 22
|
91879 |
ECON 242 Ecological Economics |
Kris Feder |
. . W . F |
11:50 am -1:10 pm |
HEG 106 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: Environmental & Urban Studies Ecological
economics (ECE) is a transdisciplinary field of study that draws upon
principles of physics, ecology, and other natural and social sciences as well
as economics. ECE views the economy as “an open subsystem of a larger ecosystem
that is finite, nongrowing, and materially closed
(though open with respect to solar energy).” As human population and production
grow, say proponents, ECE is “a necessary evolution of economic thought” (Daly
and Farley). The positive analyses of ECE are motivated by three normative
social goals: (1) efficient allocation of scarce resources, including
those—such as ecosystem services—that do not pass through markets; (2) justice
in distribution; and (3) an ecologically sustainable scale of economic
activity. Prerequisite: ECON 100. Class size: 22
|
91880 |
ECON 291 Foundations of Finance & Investments |
Andy Felkerson |
. T . Th . |
11:50 am -1:10 pm |
ALBEE 106 |
SSCI |
Cross-listed: Economics & Finance This course explores the foundations of the pricing
of financial instruments and the structure and organization of financial markets.
Methods will be developed to analyze and measure financial performance, price
stocks and bonds, evaluate portfolios and understand financial derivatives as
these relate to financial data. Additional topics include the investment
decision-making process; trading practices; risk assessment and
diversification. This course involves a substantial amount of statistical
analysis and calculation, but no prior knowledge of statistics is required.
Class
size: 22
|
91882 |
ECON 304 Macroeconomic Stability |
Pavlina Tcherneva |
. T . . . |
1:30 pm -3:50 pm |
ALBEE 106 |
SSCI |
This course will examine the nature of
economic instability and financial crises in modern history and the Keynesian contributions
to macroeconomic stabilization policy. Students will be introduced to John
Maynard Keynes’s investment theory of the business cycle and Hyman P. Minsky’s
financial theory of investment. We will grapple with the controversial
question of government intervention by examining the theoretical justifications
for and against intervention, the optimal level of intervention, and the
effects of complete absence of intervention. We will also discuss specific
economic policies that deal with important problems such as inflation,
unemployment, poverty, financial crises, and other. The relative effectiveness
of monetary and fiscal policies will also be discussed. Prerequisite: ECON 202 Class size: 15
|
91883 |
ECON 350 Income DistRIBUTION Applied Research SEMINAR |
Olivier Giovannoni |
. . . Th . |
1:30 pm -3:50 pm |
ALBEE 106 |
SSCI |
Since the 1980s, income inequality has increased dramatically
and is now the highest on record. More and more income goes to capital-owners and
profits, not workers and labor, and since 2000, 95% of income gains have gone
to the top 1%. There is much uncertainty regarding the causes and consequences
of those trends, and the potential economic policies
required. What explains this shift in the distribution of income? What are the
roles of technology, international trade, finance, institutions and governance?
Why has growth become so biased towards the very few? Is there a tradeoff
between growth and equity? Through what processes is income created and
distributed? What are extractive and predatory governments? Is inequality bad
and if so, why? Is there such a thing as a balanced, or equitable growth and if
so, what does it take? This course surveys landmark theories of economic growth
and income distribution and is research-based,
through the reading of state-of-the-art journal articles and the writing of a
term paper. A substantial component of the course involves data procurement and
analysis and in-class work on laptops. We focus on the United States and
provide international comparisons. Prerequisites: ECON 202 and ECON 229, or
permission of the instructor. Class size: 15