Lansing Community College

Social Science Department
Section Syllabus - ECON 202 for Spring 2010, CRN: 50706

Course and Section Information:

Course Code: ECON 202
Title: Principles of Economics - MACRO
Semester: Fall 2009
Class Meetings: CRN 50706:  T & Th 10:10am -12:00n in GB173

Instructor & Contact Information:

Instructor: Jim Luke
Office: LCC Main Campus, A&S Building, Room 361E
Phone & Voice Mail: 517-483-5384  (office)
313-550-8884   (cell + text) (best)
Email: lukej@lcc.edu (preferred for all email. I discourage use of Angel email)
Office Hours: T 2-4pm; Th 12n-4pm; others by appointment;  check my schedule here for availability.  Always best to call/email/text ahead for an appt.

I. Course Code:  ECON 201


 Credit Lecture

4 64

II. Prerequisite

Reading Level 5
Math Level 4

III. Course Description

This course is designed to develop objective consideration of economic issues and provides information and understanding of how resources are allocated by prices. Topics for study include price theory, consumer demand, cost and market structure, the role of government in the market, resource pricing, and international trade.

IV. Instructional Materials

A. Required Textbooks: 

Taylor, Timothy;  Principles of Economics,  published by Freeloadpress,  2008, ISBN: 1-930789-05-X

Where to get the textbook: Traditional economics textbooks generally cost $150-$190, which the Econ faculty at LCC considers too much.  Instead we use a textbook that is available for free online or in a printed version for only $29.  The book is available online only at www.textbookmedia.com .  You may choose either the online or printed versions, or both.  HOWEVER I STRONGLY RECOMMEND GETTING A PRINTED OR PRINTABLE VERSION.  Students with printed versions seem to do better in the course and student feedback suggests it is the better option.  The free online version has a full page ad every 5 or 6 pages, but the ads are easy to skip past.  You can purchase a paperback copy of the text printed in black and white without ads for $29.90 plus $5.00 shipping through the textbook's website, but that is not required.  I have developed a detailed tutorial explaining how to register online and access the textbook which you can view at jimluke.com/taylor/DownloadTaylor.html.   

B.  Other Materials and Resources 

The course website on Angel is required.  Readings for each unit are provided on the Angel website.  "Units" covered in the course DO NOT correspond directly to "chapters" in the textbook. If you do not access the Angel course site you will not know what to read when.
Links to other resources about economics, websites, copies of in-class slide presentations, and practice quizzes are also available on the Web through the LCC Angel site for this course.

V.  Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the successful student will be able to:
  1. Calculate, explain, and evaluate measures of aggregate output, aggregate income, the price level, unemployment and the balance of payments.
  2. Describe the types of unemployment.
  3. Describe the components of aggregate demand, their relative size in the U.S. economy, and their historical volatility.
  4. Describe and explain the aggregate flows of an economy between households, firms, government, and rest-of-world sectors through product, resource, and financial markets.
  5. Describe and evaluate macroeconomic policy goals and trade-offs.
  6. Describe the federal budget process, surplus or deficit, and public debt, and their impact on the economy.
  7. Explain verbally and graphically and apply the aggregate demand and aggregate supply model.
  8. Explain and analyze the classical theory of macroeconomic equilibrium and the resulting implications for the role of government.
  9. Explain and analyze the Keynesian theory of macroeconomic equilibrium and expenditure multiplier effects and the resulting implications for the role of government.
  10. List and explain the tools of fiscal policy and describe and show graphically how those tools can be used to achieve macroeconomic goals.
  11. Define money, describe the banking system, and explain the process by which the banking system creates money.
  12. Describe and define the functions and policy tools of the Federal Reserve System and explain how actions of the Federal Reserve System affect money supply and interest rates.
  13. Describe and show graphically how actions by the Federal Reserve can be used to achieve macroeconomic goals.
  14. Explain and analyze the Monetarist view of policy, macroeconomic equilibrium and the resulting implications for the role of government.
  15. Explain and contrast the views of the effectiveness and desirability of using activist and discretionary policy to achieve macroeconomic goals.
  16. Describe the process by which exchange rates are determined and the macroeconomic impact of changes in exchange rates.

VI. Methods of Instruction

 Lecture and Discussion: This section of the course will primarily utilize lecture and discussion. In-class exercises solved in small groups will occassionally supplement the lecture. Questions are encouraged.

VII. Methods of Evaluating Student Acheivement and Progress:

A. The following methods are used in this class:

Assignment
 % of Final Course Grade
Best 3 grades (not scores) on Mid term tests 75%
(25% each for 3 tests)
Final Exam 25%
Total for Course 100%
Descripton of Graded Assignments:
Highest three mid-term tests and the final exam are all equally weighted (25% each) in calculating the overall final course grade. The final exam is required. Test “grades” are averaged, not scores. A score is the number of questions correctly answered. The test grade is based on the 4.0-0 scale. A grade is established for each test based upon a "curve". The lowest grade of the four mid-term tests is dropped from the calculation. The highest three mid-term tests and the final exam are all equally weighted (25% each) in calculating the overall final course grade. The final exam is required.
4 Mid-Term Tests
Tests are multiple-choice and true-false question tests with only one best answer for each question. Some graphs and calculations may be involved. Students are only permitted to use simple calculators, although most students find they do not need them. No notes or books are permitted during tests. International students may use language-translation dictionaries. Tests are multiple-choice and true-false question tests with only one best answer for each question. Some graphs and calculations may be involved. Students are only permitted to use simple calculators, although most students find they do not need them. No notes or books are permitted during tests. International students may use language-translation dictionaries. The instructor MAY choose to make one or two of the tests "take-home" tests.
Final Examination
The final exam will be comprehensive and will have two parts. The departmental part will consist of 25 multiple choice questions and will count as 50% of the final exam grade. The instructor part consists of 25 questions selected by the instructor and will count as the other 50% of the final exam grade.

B. Grading Scale:

The College Standard grading scale will be used:
Course Grade
4.0 Excellent
3.5
3.0 Good
2.5
2.0 Satisfactory
1.5
1.0 Poor
0.0 No Credit
Note on Test Grades:
Each test will be graded and given both a score and a grade.  The score is the absolute number of correct answers provided by the student. The grade is based on the 0.0-4.0 scale above and is based partly on the distribution of all test scores in the class. Only grades will be used to calculate final course grades.  Due to changes in the distribution of scores through the class from test to test, it is likely that the a particular score on one test will result in a different grade than that same score on a different test.

VIII. Course Practices and Policies

College-wide policies are stated in the College Catalog and include those on attendance, withdrawals, and incomplete grades.  The College Catalog is available on the Internet at http://www.lcc.edu/catalog/.  Lansing Community College provides services to students with documented disabilities.  If you need accomomdations, contact the Office of Disability Services at 517-483-1207 in room 2300 of Gannon Building to coordinate reasonable accomodations for your needs.

Additional course policies and practices for this course are:

Attendance in Lectures
Attendance is required.  In addition, it helps you learn better, faster, and easier.  It's a more efficient use of your time and that's good economics.
Drops and Withdrawals
Students are advised to familiarize themselves with the LCC Withdrawal Policy. It is available on the Internet at http://www.lcc.edu/policy/policies_9.aspx#W_GRADE.  Under this policy, students may withdraw themselves from the course until the end of the eighth week. Between the 8th week and the end of the 14th week, students must be passing and have the permission of the instructor to withdraw. Such requests should be addressed to the instructor by email. There can be NO WITHDRAWALS after the 14th week.  All students remaining enrolled in the class after the 14th week must receive a final course grade. Students who have extended absences from class without discussing it with the instructor, or who miss two or more tests without notice, or who engage in uncivil activity are subject to Administrative Withdrawal by the Instructor before the 14th week.  Students who miss two or more tests without making arrangements with the Professor will be administratively dropped from the course.
Make-up Tests
Students are expected to make a strong effort to take all tests in-class on the appointed day. Students ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED TO MAKE-UP EXAMS. If a student cannot attend class to take the test on the scheduled day, the student should not automatically expect to be allowed to take a make-up test since students may "drop" their lowest test score. Make-up tests will only be permitted under these conditions:
  1. Student has notified the instructor of the need & reason for taking a makeup PRIOR to the giving of the test in class.
  2. Student has a substantial reason or excuse for not being able to take the test on the appropriate day.
  3. The make-up test is completed before the next regular class meeting after the scheduled test day.
Extra Credit
Extra Credit work is NOT available.  The grading system and the subject content of the 4th test and the final exam are designed to allow a student who is carrying a poor grade late in the course to be able to significantly improve their course grade.  Any extra effort late in the term is best applied to preparing for these tests.

IX.  Detailed Outline of Course Content and Sequencing

Detailed information on the course outline, activities, assigned readings, and test dates is available on the Angel website for the course.  The Angel site should be checked regularly as test dates are subject to change. Students must consult the list on Angel to know the proper readings for each unit of the course.  Unit numbers in the course do NOT correspond directly to chapter numbers in the book.

TENTATIVE Schedule of Test Dates

These dates are subject to change.  Actual dates will be announced in class.
Test 1 Units 2-5 Feb  4
Test 2 Units  6-8 Mar 4
Test 3 Units 9-11 Apr 8
Test 4 Units 12-13 + review of earlier units
 Apr 29
Final Exam comprehensive May 6

X.  Transfer Potential

For transferability information, please consult the Transfer Equivalency List located on the Internet at http://www.lcc.edu/transfer. For additional transferability information contact the LCC Counseling Services Department, (517) 483-1255. The MACRAO Transfer Agreement simplifies the transfer of students from one Michigan institution to another and appears in the catalog.

XI. Student Academic Integrity

The very nature of higher education requires that students adhere to accepted standards of academic integrity.  Therefore, Lansing Community College has adopted a code of academic conduct and a statement of student academic integrity.  These may be found in the Lansing Community College Catalog where violations of adademic integrity are listed and defined.  Such violations include both cheating and plagiarism. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of behaviors that constitute academic dishonesty. Classroom and online behavior that interferes with the instructional and learning processes is not tolerated.  the consequences are addressed in the catalog under Administrative Withdrawal.

Instructor's Policy re: in-class exams:

All in-class tests are closed-book exams. If there is evidence of academic dishonesty, I may choose any of the following options individually or in combination: deduct points from an exam score, lower a student's overall grade in the course, change the relative weights of tests for a particular student, request a student to take a replacement exam, request a student to move to another part of the room, request the student to take the exam at the Assessment Center, and/or report the matter to higher authorities for further disciplinary action.  Any behavior during a test which makes the instructor uncomfortable or suspicious is sufficient for action to be taken.  Proof of dishonesty is not required, the instructor's or proctor's judgement is sufficient.

Instructor's Policy re: Take-Home Tests:

Take-home tests are by their nature open-book and open-note. Each student is to determine their answers to each question independently. Students are permitted to discuss questions with each other and to discuss economic ideas, methods, and techniques. However, the exchange of specific answers between students is prohibited. If I suspect that a student's answer sheet does not reflect their own independent judgement and effort, I reserve the right to either deduct points, assign a grade of 0.0, or to require a replacement assignment/test. Again,anything regarding a test which makes the instructor uncomfortable or suspicious of it's integrity is sufficient for action to be taken.  Proof of dishonesty is not required.  The instructor's or proctor's judgement is sufficient.