Macroeconomics
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Macroeconomics
Macroeconomics
Course Text and Study Guide
Frank, Robert H., Ben S. Bernanke, Kate Antonovics, and Ori Heffetz. Principles of Macro Economics, 6th edition. McGraw-Hill, 2015. ISBN 978-0073518992
● [This text is provided as part of the course enrollment. Students may purchase print used, new, or rent copies at this link]
Course Description
Macroeconomics analyzes the performance of the national economy and its links to the global economy. This course is designed to examine many aspects of the economy from an aggregate perspective. Basic tools of economists are described, and an overview of the interrelated components of the United States’ economy is included. Supply, demand, economic measures, growth, employment, and inflation, as they relate to the business cycle and the health of the economy, are examined. The relationship between aggregate expenditures and aggregate supply is analyzed. The roles of fiscal policy, money, banks, and monetary policy in the economy are discussed along with examining the role politics and the Federal Reserve have on economic outcomes. Other topics include the deficit, surplus, national debt, and the U.S. Social Security system. Throughout the course, various international issues in today’s global economy are presented.
Course Objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to: ● Identify and apply relevant terminology and concepts to economic issues and
problems.
● Compare and contrast the market system of economics with other systems. ● Analyze and synthesize the public and private sectors of the U.S. economy. ● Explain and synthesize the components of the National Income and Product
Accounts.
● Describe the macroeconomic goals and problems. ● Analyze and synthesize short-run and long-run models of macroeconomic activity. ● Analyze government macroeconomic policy tools, and explain how they are used to
stabilize the macroeconomy. ● Compare and contrast various macroeconomic theories. ● Analyze and synthesize international economic activity, and use the results to predict
the impact on U.S. macroeconomic activity.
Course Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites to take Macroeconomics.
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Important Terms
In this course, different terms are used to designate tasks: ● Proctoring: all final exams require proctoring which can be completed conveniently
from your home. A webcam is required. ● Tutoring: memberships include online tutoring for students to access with any
content/subject related questions in the place of faculty. If your tutor is not able to answer your questions please contact a student advisor.
● Practice Exercise: A non-graded assessment to assist you in practicing the skills discussed in a topic.
● Graded Exam: A graded online test.
Course Evaluation Criteria
StraighterLine provides a percentage score and letter grade for each course. See Academic Questions section in FAQ for further details on percentage scores and grading scale. A passing percentage is 70% or higher.
If you have chosen a Partner College to award credit for this course, your final grade will be based upon that college's grading scale. Only passing scores will be considered by Partner Colleges for an award of credit.
There are a total of 1000 points in this course:
Topic Assessment Points Available
Graded Exam 1 55
Graded Exam 2 55
Graded Exam 3 55
Graded Exam 4 55
Graded Exam 5 55
Cumulative Midterm Exam 150
Graded Exam 6 55
Graded Exam 7 55
Graded Exam 8 55
Graded Exam 9 55
Graded Exam 10 55
Cumulative Final Exam 300
Total 1000
Course Topics and Objectives
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Macroeconomics
Topic Lesson Topic Subtopics Objectives
1 Basics of Macroeconomi
cs
● The Economic Perspective
● Theories, Principles, and Models
● Macroeconomics and Microeconomics
● Measuring Costs and Benefits
● Graphs
● Identify and describe three interrelated features of how economists think about the world.
● Define opportunity cost and provide an example.
● Explain the usefulness of the Scarcity Principle in economics analysis.
● State the difference between Macroeconomics and Microeconomics.
● Explain the difference between positive and normative economics.
● Explain the difference between measuring costs and benefits as proportions versus absolute dollar amounts.
● Represent a relationship between two variables with a graph.
2 The U.S. Economy
● Trade Specialization and Comparative Advantage
● The Foreign Exchange Market
● Government and Trade
● Trade Organizations and Agreements
● Trade Barriers ● The Case for
Protection
● Production Possibilities Curve
● Analyze the economic flows that link the U.S. and the economies of other nations.
● Define comparative advantage and use a table to illustrate the concept.
● Describe the gains from specialization and comparative advantage.
● Use a demand and supply model to show how exchange rates are determined.
● Use a demand and supply model to illustrate currency appreciation and depreciation.
● Compare and contrast the notable trade agreements.
● Analyze global competition. ● Delineate a case for free trade. ● Analyze the economic impact of
trade barriers. ● Explain the message of the
basic production possibilities curve.
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3 Basics of Supply and Demand
● Economic Systems ● Characteristics of
the Market System ● Markets ● Demand ● Supply ● Market Equilibrium
● Identify two major economic systems.
● Identify and explain the characteristics of the market system.
● Describe markets and their function.
● Explain the relationship between price and quantity demanded.
● Identify the determinants of demand.
● Explain and graphically illustrate the difference between a change in quantity demanded and a change in demand.
● Identify the determinants of supply.
● Explain and graphically illustrate the difference between a change in quantity supplied and a change in supply.
● Explain and graphically illustrate market equilibrium.
● Explain the Efficiency Principle. ● Apply demand and supply
analysis to real-world issues and problems.
4 Measuring
Economic
Outcomes
● Gross Domestic Product
● The Expenditures Approach to Calculating GDP
● The Income Approach to Calculating GDP
● Nominal GDP versus Real GDP
● Shortcomings of GDP
● Define Gross Domestic Product. ● Analyze the expenditures view
of GDP. ● Analyze the income view of
GDP.
● Use the expenditures approach to calculate GDP.
● Use the income approach to calculate GDP.
● Explain the difference between Nominal GDP and Real GDP.
● State the shortcomings of GDP as a measure of national well being.
5 Inflation ● Inflation ● The Consumer Price
● Define inflation. ● Analyze the Consumer Price
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Index
● Interest Rates ● Redistribution ● The Fisher Effect
Index.
● Identify the different types of inflation.
● Explain how someone benefits from inflation and how someone loses from inflation.
● Analyze the relationship between inflation and interest rates.
● Define the Fisher Effect and its outcomes.
6 Unemployment
and
Employment
● Unemployment ● The Labor Market
● Define unemployment. ● Calculate an unemployment
rate using real-world data. ● Apply the supply and demand
model to understand the labor market and its trends.
7 Economic
Growth
● Economic Growth ● Ingredients of
Growth
● Production Possibilities Analysis
● Accounting for Growth
● Is Growth Desirable and Sustainable?
● Define economic growth. ● Identify the main ingredients of
economic growth. ● Analyze economic growth using
the production possibilities curve.
● Present an accounting for economic growth.
● Explain the relationship between accelerating productivity and economic growth.
● Present an argument in favor of economic growth.
● Present an argument against economic growth.
8 Saving, Capital Formation and Financial
Markets
● The Income-Consumptio
n Relationship ● The Income-Saving
Relationship
● The Interest Rate-Investment
Relationship
● Explain the relationship between income and consumption.
● Explain the relationship between income and saving.
● Identify the non-income determinants of consumption.
● Explain the relationship between the interest rate and investment.
● Define crowding out and state its impact on expansionary fiscal policy.
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● Analyze the ownership of public debt.
9 Interest Rates and Monetary Policy
● The Functions of Money
● The Components of Money Supply
● The Fractional Reserve System
● Identify the functions of money.
● Define the M1 and M2 measures of money.
● Outline the structure of the Federal Reserve System.
● Describe the district Federal Reserve Banks.
● Identify the functions of the Federal Reserve System.
● Describe the characteristics of Fractional Reserve Banking.
● Explain and illustrate, with a simple balance sheet, how a bank creates money.
10 The Business Cycle
● The Business Cycle ● Fluctuations ● The Output Gap ● Unemployment
● Analyze the business cycle. ● Explain the main characteristics
of recessions and expansions. ● Analyze the relationship
between potential output and actual output.
● Compare and contrast the natural rate of unemployment and cyclical unemployment.
11 Aggregate
Expenditures
● Equilibrium GDP ● Changes in
Equilibrium GDP ● Limitations of the
Model
● The Interest Rate-Investments
Relationship
● Built-In Stability
● Construct the Investment Schedule from the Investment Demand Curve.
● Determine equilibrium GDP, Output, and Income using tabular data.
● Define and calculate marginal propensity to consume.
● Identify the non-income determinants of consumption.
● Identify the determinants of investment demand.
● Define and explain the multiplier effect.
● Calculate the multiplier from hypothetical data.
● State the importance of automatic stabilizers.
12 Fiscal Policy ● Interest Rates ● Analyze the demand for
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● Tools of Monetary Policy
● Targeting the Federal Funds Rate
● Monetary Policy, Real GDP, and the Price Level
● Monetary Policy: Evaluation and Issues
money.
● Use a money demand and supply model to illustrate how the equilibrium interest rate is
● determined. ● Explain how the Federal
Reserve uses each of its tools to influence the money-creating abilities of the commercial banking system.
● Describe the FOMC. ● Define the federal funds rate. ● Explain how monetary policy
that focuses on targeting the federal funds rate works.
● Using a cause-effect chain, show how monetary policy impacts the economy at large.
● Analyze problems and complications associated with monetary policy.
● Identify the monetary multiplier.
13 Aggregate
Demand and Aggregate
Supply
● The Aggregate Demand-Aggregate
Supply Model ● Aggregate Demand ● Changes in
Aggregate Demand ● Aggregate Supply ● Changes in
Aggregate Supply ● Equilibrium and
Changes in Equilibrium
● From Short Run to Long Run
● Stabilization Policy
● Define aggregate demand. ● Define the AD-AS model. ● Analyze economic growth using
the AD-AS model. ● Explain the inverse relationship
between the price level and real GDP.
● Analyze the causes of change in aggregate demand.
● Explain the shape of the aggregate demand curve.
● Explain the shape of the aggregate supply curve.
● Analyze the causes of changes in aggregate supply.
● Compare and contrast short-and long-run equilibrium in the AD-AS model.
● Apply expansionary and recessionary gaps to the idea of a self-correcting economy.
14 Monetary
Policy and the Economy
● Taxation and Aggregate Supply
● Present the argument made by supply-side economists.
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● Stabilization Policy ● Fiscal Policy
● Explain the relationship between stabilization policy and demand shocks.
● Explain the relationship between stabilization policy and inflation shocks.
● Describe the effects fiscal policy can have on both aggregate demand and aggregate supply.
15 Exchange
Rates,
International
Trade and Capital Flows
● The Economic Basis for Trade
● Supply and Demand Analysis of Exports and Imports
● The Balance of Trade
● The Foreign Exchange Market
● Flexible Exchange Rates
● Fixed Exchange Rates
● International Exchange Rate Systems
● Recent U.S. Trade Deficits
● Present the economic basis for trade.
● Use a demand and supply diagram to show that as world prices increase relative to domestic prices, U.S. exports rise.
● Use a demand and supply diagram to show that as world prices decrease relative to domestic prices, U.S. imports rise.
● Explain the Balance of Trade in terms of each of its accounts.
● Analyze global competition. ● Analyze the offsetting
transactions that cause the Balance of Trade to always sum to zero.
● Use demand and supply diagrams to illustrate currency appreciation and depreciation.
● Use a demand and supply model to show how exchange rates are determined.
● List the determinants of exchange rates.
● State the case for flexible exchange rates and potential problems with this case.
● State the case for fixed exchange rates and potential problems with this case.
● Compare and contrast the various international exchange rate systems.
● Analyze recent U.S. trade
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deficits.
16 Review ● Review ● Macroeconomics Concepts ● Economic Decision Makers ● Supply and Demand ● Economic Outcomes ● Measuring Economic Outcomes ● The Business Cycle ● Growth and Unemployment ● Inflation ● Inflation and Unemployment ● Aggregate Expenditures ● Aggregate Supply and Demand ● Fiscal Policy ● Monetary and Financial
Institutions
● Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve
● Deficits and Surpluses ● National Debt
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