Professor: G. McCarthy
CRN: 11696
Distribution:
E/Q
Time: Tu Th 9:00 am - 10:20 am LC 115
cross-listed: CRES
The microeconomic approach to economic problems: a study of the individual consumption and
production units of the economy. The central theme will be how and why markets work or fail to
work. Special emphasis will be placed on the ability of a market economy to produce such goods
as clean air and water, health care, public recreation, and housing. The course will also emphasize
the impact of monopoly control of industry on the production of goods and distribution of
income.
Professor: K. Feder
CRN: 11697
Distribution:
E
Time: M W 10:30 am - 11:50 am OLIN 202
cross-listed: CRES
An introductory course for students not majoring in economics. Serves as a prerequisite for
several CRES courses (an alternative to Eco-nomics 102). The student will encounter
fundamental principles of production and distribution, and will become expert in the use of basic
graphical and mathematical methods of analysis. Emphasis is on a wide variety of applications,
often but not exclusively tailored to the interests of the CRES student. Topics include marginal
analysis; the function of the market system; economic efficiency; determinants of income
distribution; macroeconomic stability and growth; economics of natural resources and the
environment; urban and regional problems; public finance and the economics of collective
choice.
Professor: R. Wiles
CRN: 11698
Distribution:
C
Time: M W 1:20 pm - 2:40 pm LC 208
cross-listed: American Studies
The course will provide a basic economic analysis of trends and events that shaped the economic
development of the U.S. from the colonial period to contemporary times. Particular topics to be
covered will be the economic aspects of the Constitution, the role of government, the rise of
monopoly corporations, income and wealth inequality, the Populist and Socialist movements, the
clash between labor and capital, the monetary system, and international economic policy, as well
as others. Various viewpoints on each issue will be presented.
Professor: O. Levin-Waldman
CRN: 11708
Distribution:
A/C
Time: W 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm OLIN 201
An introduction to political economy as a new paradigm in studying economic issues. The course contrasts non-Marxian and neo-Marxian analyses of advanced capitalism and examines the changing nature of advanced capitalism. The new paradigm is used with respect to the following topics: monopoly capitalism, capitalist accumulation, labor process, economic downturns and inflation, underconsumption, and stagnation.
Professor: K. Feder
CRN: 11699
Distribution:
A/E
Time: Tu Th 3:40 pm - 5:00 pm OLIN 307
cross-listed: CRES
An introduction to the study of cities and regions from the perspective of location theory and
central place theory. Both the internal spatial structure of urban areas and the spatial structure of
regional systems of cities are covered. Historical analysis of patterns of urbanization, primarily in
the developed industrial economies, is undertaken. Specific urban problems are examined from an
economic point of view: housing, transportation, social services, segregation, the decline of inner
cities, urban sprawl. Issues pertaining to urban planning, urban government, and urban public
policy are discussed. Prerequisite: Economics 102 or 105.
Professor: G. McCarthy
CRN: 11700
Distribution:
A/E/Q
Time: M W 10:30 am - 12:30 pm LC 210
cross-listed: CRES
This is the first of a two-course sequence designed to examine empirical economics. The course
will introduce the concepts of statistic, probability, probability distributions, random variables,
correlation, and simple regression. The techniques of statistical inference hypothesis testing will be
developed. Numerous examples and computer-based exercises will be presented. Economics 229
is a prerequisite for Economics 230, Introduction to Econometrics.
Professor: G. McCarthy
CRN: 11701
Distribution:
C
Time: Tu 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm OLIN 201
cross-listed: CRES
The course is an attempt to provide an interdisciplinary perspective on the relation between
economic development and the conservation of natural resources. Questions to be addressed:
How can we characterize the trade-off between environmental concerns and economic gains?
What is sustainable biologically? What is sustainable economically? Did the Western countries
develop in a sustainable way? Can the less developed countries hope to develop in a sustainable
way? Both the theory and practice of past and current development policies will be critically
assessed. The viability, both political and economic, of current suggested policies will be
discussed. The role of activism on the local and global scale, within political structures and on the
grass-roots level, will be developed. The course will focus on less developed countries, but will
include discussion of developed countries and the semi-developed economies of Eastern Europe.
This is a reading course involving active student participation. Students will be expected to write
and distribute five short synopses of articles to be discussed in class. A comprehensive final will be
given.
Professor: R. Wiles
CRN: 11702
Distribution:
C
Time: Tu 10:30 am - 12:30 pm OLIN 307
An analysis of international trade and financial relationships: recent problems and developments in world commercial, monetary, and financial policy; the economic aspects of international cooperation.
Professor: K. Feder
CRN: 11703
Distribution:
A
Time: Th 9:30 am - 11:50 am OLIN 204
A critical survey of several school of economic thought which today challenge the mainstream neoclassical school, based on a collection by the same name (October 1996) and other recent articles. Approaches encountered include contributions from the Austrian, institutional, geoclassical, structural, feminist, humanist, and foundational schools of economics, as well as postmodern Marxism and the Virginia School of political economy. Examination of their research agendas, methodologies, principles, values and factual claims will throw fresh light on the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant paradigm itself.