Macroeconomics (FE312Q)
Assistant Professor Katherine A. Smith  ksmith@usna.edu

Syllabus                                                                                                                                


Course Outline

I. Understanding and Measuring the Macro Economy

II. The Macro economy in the Short-Run

III. The Impact of Macro economic Policies on the Economy

IV. The Macro Economy in the long run

V. Open-Economy Macro


Course Calendar & Readings From Text

8/24

I

What is Macroeconomics? (Ch.1)

8/26

I

How do we measure economic activity? (Ch.2)

8/28

I

 What are economic business cycles? (Ch.3)

 

8/31

 II

Consumer Optimization: consumption functions (Ch.4)

9/2

II

Consumer Optimization: consumption functions (Ch.4)

9/4

II

 Consumer Optimization: consumption functions (Ch.4)

 

9/8

II

Consumer optimization: labor supply functions (Ch.4)

9/9

II

Firm Profit Maximization: labor demand functions (Ch.4)

9/11

II

 Firm Profit Maximization: labor demand functions (Ch.4)

 

9/14

II

Firm Profit Maximization: labor demand functions (Ch.4)

9/16

II

The Consumption-Savings Decision (Ch.8)

9/18

II

The Consumption-Savings Decision (Ch.8)

 

9/21

II

Firms' Investment Decisions (Ch.9)

9/23

II

Firms' Investment Decisions (Ch.9)

9/25

II

The Baumol-Tobin Model of Money Demand

 

9/28

II

The Baumol-Tobin Model of Money Demand

9/30

II

The Real Business Cycle Model (Ch.9)

10/2

II

The Real Business Cycle Model (Ch.9)

 

10/5

III

 Exam #1

10/7

III

Film: Commanding Heights

10/9

III

Film: Commanding Heights

 

10/12

III

Columbus Day

10/14

III

Fiscal Policy: Government Spending

10/16

III

Fiscal Policy: Government Spending

 

10/19

III

Fiscal Policy: Government Spending

10/21

III

Fiscal Policy: Taxes

10/23

III

Fiscal Policy: Taxes

 

10/26

III

Fiscal Policy: Taxes

10/28

 III

Monetary Policy

10/30

III

 Monetary Policy

 

11/2

III

Monetary Policy /S-LM Model (Ch.12)

11/3

III

Monetary Policy /S-LM Model (Ch.12)

11/6

III

 Monetary Policy /S-LM Model (Ch.12)

 

11/9

III

Monetary Policy 

11/11

III

Veterans Day 

11/13

III

 Exam #2 

 

11/16

IV

Solow Growth Model (Ch.6)

11/18

IV

Solow Growth Model (Ch.6)

11/20

IV

Solow Growth Model (Ch.6)

 

11/23

IV

Solow Growth Model (Ch.6)

11/25

IV

Solow Growth Model (Ch.6)

11/27

 

 Thanksgiving

 

11/30

V.

Endogenous Growth Models (Ch.7)

12/2

IV.

Endogenous Growth Models (Ch.7)

12/4

V.

International (Ch.13)

 

12/7

V.

International (Ch.13)

12/9

V.

International (Ch.13)

12/11

V.

International (Ch.13)

 

Due Dates

8/24

I

 

8/26

I

 

8/28

I

 In Class Work

 

8/31

 II

 

9/2

II

Problem Set #1

9/4

II

 

 

9/8

II

 

9/9

II

 

9/11

II

Problem Set #2 

 

9/14

II

 Problem Set #3

9/16

II

 

9/18

II

 

 

9/21

II

 Paper #1

9/23

II

 

9/25

II

Problem Set #4

 

9/28

II

 

9/30

II

 

10/2

II

 Problem Set #5

 

10/5

III

 Exam #1

10/7

III

 

10/9

III

 

 

10/12

III

Columbus Day

10/14

III

 

10/16

III

 

 

10/19

III

 

10/21

III

 

10/23

III

 

 

10/26

III

 Problem Set #6

10/28

 III

 

10/30

III

 Paper #2

 

11/2

III

 Problem Set #7

11/3

III

 

11/6

III

 

 

11/9

III

Problem Set #8

11/11

III

Veterans Day 

11/13

III

 Exam #2 

 

11/16

IV

 

11/18

IV

 

11/20

IV

 

 

11/23

IV

 

11/25

IV

Problem Set #9

11/27

 

 Thanksgiving

 

11/30

V.

 

12/2

IV.

 

12/4

V.

Paper #3

 

12/7

V.

 

12/9

V.

Problem Set #10

12/11

V.

 

 

 


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