Course Syllabus - Deborah Goldsmith

Economics 1 - Spring 2002

Principles of Economics: Macroeconomics

This syllabus is your contract with the instructor for this class. You are responsible for knowing the contents and contacting the instructor if you have any questions about it.

What do I need to get?

1. Irvin B. Tucker, Macroeconomics for Today (2nd edition, 2000)
2. Economics 1 Reader – Fall 2001 (Deborah Goldsmith)

Study Guide to accompany Tucker, Macroeconomics for Today
(New copies of the book come with a free copy of the Study Guide.)

All of these materials are also available on reserve at the college library. The AS Bookloan Program will loan copies of the text at SU 212 during the second week of the semester. Priority goes to people who receive financial aid or BOGG.

What is this class about?

Economics studies how people in a society decide what to produce, how to produce these things, and who receives them. This class, Economics 1, is an introduction to the general principles, terminology, and methods of macroeconomics: how the entire U.S. economy works as a system, including the problems of recessions, economic growth, unemployment, and inflation, and how they affect people’s lives. Current issues include:

• What does it mean to be in a recession?
• How is the war in Afghanistan affecting the economy?
• How bad is the poverty problem in the US today?
• Is Alan Greenspan really a powerful person?

I think these topics are fascinating and important to know about, and I plan to show you why. You won’t get one "right answer" to how to fix the economy in this class. Economists offer many different answers, but they basically follow one of three different viewpoints: the Classical economic tradition (conservative); the Keynesian economic tradition (liberal); and the Marxist political economy tradition (radical). As we compare their answers to economic concerns, you’ll develop a basis for deciding which viewpoint and which policies make the most sense to you.

What will I get out of completing this class?

First, completing this class gives you 3 transferable units of credit under Area D, or Area 4 of IGETC.

Second, this class is designed to help you understand and gain practice with the basic concepts, approach, and methods used by economists to understand our society, so you can "think like an economist." After completing this course successfully, you will be able to:

• explain the basic macroeconomic institutions of our society
  
  
• summarize the major issues facing the US economy and compare their impact on different groups and communities
  
  
• summarize the major macroeconomic viewpoints, use these viewpoints to analyze current economic problems, and evaluate the expected results of their recommended policies
  
  
• express your own viewpoint and values regarding current economic issues and possible policy responses
  
  
• communicate economic ideas effectively using a variety of tools of economic analysis: words, equations, and graphs

Third, this course has a special focus on developing skills for success in the workplace and life. It is part of the SCANS program at City College, which helps teachers incorporate general skills (competencies) that have been deemed essential for job success, based on surveys of employers by the Secretary of Labor’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS). This class will focus on developing the following skills for personal acquiring, organizing, interpreting, and communicating information empowerment:

• acquiring, organizing, interpreting, and communicating information
• managing your time and efforts to achieve your goals
• communicating and working with people from diverse backgrounds
• working in teams

You’ll be asked to decide your own goals in these areas. Throughout the semester you can identify the skills you’re developing. I hope you enjoy these activities and that they help you grow in confidence as well as skills. But if you don’t want to be a part of this process, please choose another instructor!

What will we be doing?

This class will combine lectures and class discussions with individual and team activities. I will present all major concepts in class and do sample problems for all necessary graphing and math techniques. You are expected to read the assigned material before class and take part in whatever is going on in class that day. The Class Schedule lists the topics, and the Study Sheet on each topic lists all assigned reading and the related terms, concepts, and learning objectives.

If any of the readings or class material is confusing or unclear, please speak up and ask for an explanation, review, or another example. All questions are appreciated. Whatever you find confusing or unclear has probably also confused other people, but I need you to tell me.

Throughout the semester you’ll have homework assignments and in-class exercises that focus on essential skills and concepts. During the first half of the semester you’ll do some in-class activities in randomly assigned pairs and groups. In the middle of the semester you’ll be assigned to an ongoing team, which will complete some assignments and quizzes together and give a presentation teaching the class a topic you choose from a list. Topics may include problems with Social Security, economic effects of the war in Afghanistan, the nature of money, bank reform, and policies to recover from recession.

An introductory college course on the US macro economy covers a lot of material. You should expect to put in three to six hours each week outside class reading, reviewing a large new vocabulary, and studying specific economic theories and techniques. WARNING: The material will focus much more on graphs and mathematical problems at about eight weeks.

You’re also expected to follow current economic conditions and issues, which should be very interesting this semester. Friday will be "Economic News Day": bring in your news items and questions about current economic events for class discussion. And feel free to add your own knowledge on any topic from other classes or personal experiences.

To follow the economic news, you can use sources in the college library such as Business Week, The Economist, Dollars & Sense, or the Wall St. Journal. Look at the national news and business pages of the Chronicle, Examiner, New York Times, or Los Angeles Times, or the business/economic news section of Time, Newsweek, etc., or watch a television show on economic and financial issues.

The internet offers many more news sources. I’ve provided a list of websites at the back of the class Reader. Or you can start with the text website, http://tucker.swcollege.com, which has links to 50 economic resources on the Internet Whenever you do research on the Internet, make sure you note the specific source of any Internet material – the website address (URL), the name of the publication or organization running the site, the author of the material, and the date.

Am I ready to take this class now?

If you have any questions about your background for this course, please come talk to me individually. Success in economics requires a variety of skills and background knowledge, so I encourage anyone in doubt to wait to take this class until you can participate comfortably and perform well.

• English/ESL Skills: The economics faculty recommends that students in Economics 1 have completed intermediate composition -- ESL 72 or English 94 -- before taking this class. Students need a good working English vocabulary and enough reading and writing skills so they can understand everyday English used in lectures and readings, participate in group and class discussions, and write understandable paragraphs.
  
  I try to speak slowly and clearly, define unusual words, and use synonyms frequently. Please ask about any unfamiliar terms or concepts, and let me know when I speed up! Students from all backgrounds are very welcome in this class -- the majority of City College students come from homes where another language besides English is used. But students who are not yet comfortable speaking in English or find it difficult to follow everyday speech, read a newspaper, or write in English are at a disadvantage in this class. If this is you, I urge you to postpone this class – build your English/ESL skills first, and give yourself a chance to do your best.
  
  
• Math and Graphing Skills: Economists often present their theories using mathematical formulas and graphs, so students need to be able to read, interpret, and work with complex fractions, decimals, percentages, a simple two-variable equation, and graphs showing how variables are related. Anyone who has never passed a class in algebra or who needs to take Math E should not enroll in this class. To see what’s needed, please go over the Math Review handout and the appendix to chapter 1 (p. 23-33). We’ll review these skills briefly this week and again as they come up in class. They are not difficult, but students who need some practice should plan to put in extra time studying and working with the instructor and tutors.
  
  
• Computers and the Internet: Although it is not required, students are encouraged to use the Internet to complete assignments. You can receive extra credit for attending one or two drop-in Internet tutorial sessions – a schedule will be distributed soon.
  
  
• US History and Political System: As we examine government spending, taxes, and other policies, you’ll need to know the basic institutions of US national government and the major economic events of the 20th century. If you’re unclear about a topic, please ask questions in class, and check the facts in an encyclopedia, "outline" study guide to US history, or another basic resource.

What does it take to get an A?

The final grade in the class will be set by applying a standard curve to the points earned on all assignments: 90% = A, 80% = B, 68% = C, 55% = D. You can use this curve to evaluate your work throughout the semester - just calculate the percentage you've received of the possible points so far.

This course may be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis, but you must submit a completed "Petition for Credit/No Credit" to the Office of Admissions and Records by Tuesday, Feb. 19. Satisfactory ("C") or better performance is required for a grade of Credit ("CR").

Grades will be based on the following material (discussed below):

What are the assignments?

• Exams: There will be five hours of exams: three midterms + two separate parts of the final exam. Students are expected to be present for and take all exams on the scheduled dates -- do not schedule work, doctor’s appointments, vacations, or travel on exam dates. Then the lowest of the five exam grades will be dropped.
  
  Problems attending an exam: If you know you will be unable to attend on exam day, discuss this with me in advance. If an emergency occurs and you miss class on an exam day for any reason, call my voicemail (239-3368) as soon as possible. Then you must bring in written justification for your absence (jury duty slip, doctor's note, funeral notice, letter from team coach). Depending on the circumstances, you will either be allowed to complete a make-up exam or have the exam absence excused.
  
  Exam format: The three midterm exams and the first hour of the final exam will each test knowledge of the material covered on specific Study Sheets (see Class Schedule). Each exam will be a combination of true-false questions, multiple-choice questions, and short-answer problems (fill-in, match-up, math, graphing, and writing a sentence or paragraph).
  
  The second hour of the final exam will require answering several short essay questions based on a list of subject areas from the entire course that is distributed in advance. There will be some choice of questions to answer, and students will be able to bring limited notes to the exam.
  
  
• Quizzes: Most weeks we will have a 10-minute quiz on the current topic. Quiz dates will be announced in advance. (Watch the right-hand side of the blackboard – I list all upcoming assignments.) The format may include true-false, multiple-choice, graphing, mathematical, and/or written questions. The lowest two weekly quiz grades will be dropped automatically, including any quizzes missed due to non-attendance. There are no make-up quizzes, but students who bring in medical, jury duty, or athletic team appointment information will be excused without a penalty.
  
  
• In-Class Exercises and Homework Assignments: We will have a variety of in-class and homework assignments, including math, graphing, and short writing assignments. Short exercises or homeworks are worth 5 points; longer exercises and homeworks are worth 10 points. Maximum points will be received for all work that is complete and generally correct.
  
  In-class exercises cannot be turned in late -- you must be present in class and turn them in that day. You can turn in a homework late and receive partial credit if you put it on my desk at the beginning of the next class period. Students who present a medical or other valid written excuse will be excused from an assignment without penalty.
  
  
• Class Participation: You earn these points through attending class regularly, speaking up regularly, participating actively in class and small groups, and bringing in economic news items.
  
  
• Team Participation and Presentation: At the end of the semester everyone will submit evaluations of their team members’ participation in team activities and explain whether they would like to be on a team with this person again. Students who have played a constructive role will receive maximum team participation points. Separate points for the team’s class presentation will be awarded based on each student’s contribution and the overall level of work presented by the team. No student will be penalized if other team members do not do their assigned part.
  
  
• Attendance: Missed classes and "lates" subtract points. Students who miss more than two weeks of classes may be dropped for nonattendance (see "Enrollment" below) and will lose most of these points.

NOTE: FORMAT OF ASSIGNMENTS
Please print the first letter of your last name (your family name) on the upper right-hand corner of all assignments turned in for this class (for example, G for Goldsmith). This helps me sort material quickly.

Is there any way to get extra credit?

• Internet and Writing Skills Tutorials: You can receive extra credit (5 points each) for attending one or two free drop-in tutorial sessions, anytime during the semester. A schedule will be distributed soon for anyone interested. The tutorial will provide a slip to return to me verifying attendance.
  
  
• Event Reports: Brief reports on economics-related campus events may be assigned for bonus points.

Classroom conduct policies

As a SCANS class, one primary goal is increasing our ability to work with others. This class is a shared place of learning and growth for all of us, so we need to create an environment that is friendly, courteous, and encourages everyone's participation. We'll discuss basic classroom policies that show respect to other in the next few weeks, and you will be asked to support these policies.

I suggest that a positive environment starts with everyone listening to each speaker's contribution politely. Side conversations are not only rude to whoever is speaking -- they disturb others who are listening. So I ask you to please save your personal conversations for after class.

Pagers, cellular telephones, portable radios, and other electronic equipment are disruptive. Please remember to have them completely deactivated (turned off) during class time. Exception: If you have a special personal need for this equipment please discuss it with me before bringing it to class.

As the instructor, I am responsible for providing a productive classroom environment for everyone. So I will respond to students who disturb the class with a series of steps as necessary: (1) a request to cease the disruptive behavior; (2) moving the student to another seat during that class period; (3) moving the student to another seat for the rest of the semester; (4) further discipline under the Rules of Student Conduct, including possible permanent removal from class (catalog, p. 40).

Academic and intellectual honesty

Class assignments are designed to allow students to develop and demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Honesty and personal responsibility are also essential lifetime skills. Dishonesty damages the learning environment and is an insult to other students’ efforts, so it is prohibited under the City College Rules of Student Conduct (catalog, p. 40).

• Plagiarism (that means copying): Writing assignments are a way for you to demonstrate your understanding of basic economic concepts by putting them in your own words. Plagiarism means being dishonest by presenting someone else's words or ideas as if they were your own. Plagiarized material will not be accepted as a way of completing an assignment.
  
  To write acceptable answers to assignments, don’t copy word-for-word from the source you’re using – this is plagiarism. Instead, summarize the main points or basic ideas of the material you are discussing in your own (different) words and phrasing, and give credit to the source. If you need to use someone’s specific wording, use a direct quotation (put the words in quotation marks and list the source). Remember to give complete citations to Internet sources too -- the website address (URL), the author of the material, the name of the publication or organization running the site, and the date.
  
  I encourage you to study with other students and discuss class assignments. Just make sure you write the final answer yourself in your own words. If you are not sure whether your work would be considered plagiarism, please come discuss it with me.
  
  
• Cheating (and questionable behavior): Unfortunately, cheating also occurs at City College. It is unfair to the majority of students who make an honest effort to succeed in class, and I really don’t like it and will be watching out for it. To discourage cheating, all students will be asked to rearrange their seats before exams. Students who appear to be looking at others' exams, even briefly, or seeking to exchange information with other students will have their seat changed immediately and must sit in the front of the room for future quizzes and exams.
  
  Those who cheat on a quiz or exam will receive a zero grade that cannot be dropped or made up and must sit in the front of the room for all remaining quizzes and exams. Repeated cheating will lead to a written warning being placed in the student’s City College file and possibly further sanctions, including being dropped from the class, a permanent F grade, or suspension from the College. Please don’t jeopardize your education and reduce your self-esteem by engaging in this conduct.
  
  No dictionaries, calculators, or personal scratch paper will be allowed during any quizzes or exams. Why? Because, unfortunately, some students see these as more opportunities to cheat. However, just speak up during a test, and I will be glad to define any unusual words on quizzes and exams (except for specific economic terms covered in class).

Enrollment and attendance policies

Enrollment: Students are responsible to complete the registration process by the add deadline (Saturday, Feb. 2) in order to be enrolled in the class. You can drop the class through Friday, Feb. 8; you can withdraw and receive a "W" grade through Friday, April 12.

Under Social Sciences Department policy, students who miss more than a total of two weeks' classes without a written excuse may be dropped for excessive absences. If you stop attending class and don't withdraw formally, you may receive an "F" in the class. If you no longer want to be enrolled you are responsible for dropping this class, by calling STARS at (415) 452-0600 or going to Conlan Hall E107.

Attendance: Your daily, on-time attendance is an essential part of this class, because:

• you need to be present to absorb the knowledge and skills, which build gradually throughout the class
• reliability is an essential workplace skill and a basic tool for personal success
• your presence is needed to contribute to the group learning process
• arriving late disrupts the class and is discourteous to others

For these reasons, attendance is part of the class grade. For grading purposes, 3 "lates" are equal to one missed class.

If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get a copy of the notes and the assignments from another student and see the instructor for any handouts you missed. It is also your responsibility to notify the instructor of the cause for your absence. If you find your job or a personal problem is keeping you out of class, please discuss it with me.

Attendance will be checked by passing around a roll sheet during class. It is your responsibility to sign your name, written out, at each class meeting that you attend. If the roll sheet misses you or you arrive late, come up at the end of class and let me know you’re here; otherwise you will be considered absent. Please do not come to a later class saying that you didn't receive the sheet or forgot to sign in.

Signing another student's name on the attendance sheet or having someone else sign your name is considered a form of cheating and is subject to disciplinary action, beginning with an automatic 30-point reduction in both students’ final grades.

Special situations: What if I have special needs? What if something comes up during the semester?

If you need assistance, course adaptations or accommodations because of any type of disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you have some other personal problem that may affect your class participation, please make an appointment to explain your situation to me. I'm happy to work with you to accommodate your needs.

Emergencies and unexpected events that disrupt students' lives and coursework can happen to anyone. Please come see me or call me as soon as possible so we can discuss possible solutions.

Success Tips for Economics

Suggestion #1: Put Together a Class Notebook

You will receive a lot of materials for this class. I suggest you set up a notebook (three-ring binder) with your materials for this class, kept in chronological order, perhaps with the following sections:

1. Basic class materials: Syllabus, "My Goals," and other SCANS handouts
2. Class notes
3. Study Sheets and related reading handouts, in-class exercises and homeworks
4. Quizzes and exams
5. Economic news clippings

Suggestion #2: Form a Study Group

One of the best ways to get focused on a lot of new material is to talk it over with classmates. Consider forming a study group for this class. Explaining the material you understand helps you remember it and gives a hand to someone else, who can explain other parts to you.

Using the Study Sheet (it's the best guide to what will be on the tests!)

• Terms and Concepts: Locate the Terms and Concepts in the readings. (Terms marked with an asterisk (*) are defined in the "Vocabulary Definitions" section.) Many students create their own study materials by writing out terms and their definitions on study cards (flash cards) or lists. Others list the page number or write the definition next to each term.
  
  
• Review Questions: Read through the questions and match them up with pages in the assigned readings. Write out your own answers, and discuss them with study partners. Make sure to ask about anything unclear in class or with a tutor. These questions are a good review for exams.
  
  
• Additional Problems: Look for the method to do these problems in the text and/or class notes, and complete them. In your own words, summarize the economic idea that each problem demonstrates. Ask the instructor to go over any answers you aren't sure of.

  Study Resources in the Textbook and Study Guide

• Study Questions and Problems: Answers to odd-numbered Questions are in back of the book
  
  
• Practice Quizzes: Answers are at the back of the book, and useful visual explanations of correct answers are at the text website: http://tucker.swcollege.com
  
  
• Study Guide: The brief summary of each "chapter in a nutshell" should make sense after you complete each chapter. There are also useful practice problems.

  Online Textbook Tutorial and Study Skills Resources

• The text website, http://tucker.swcollege.com, includes South-Western's Economics Tutorial Software, which is tied to the text. This is a 1.41 KB file that can be downloaded. It's also available on computers at the Computer Lab Service Counter (Library 207).
  
  
• See p. 94 of the class Reader for websites with assistance on study and learning skills, test-taking, and memory improvement, as well as career, life, and health planning.

  Tutoring and Reading Assistance

  The Learning Assistance Center on the second floor of Rosenberg Library offers the following help:
  
  
• Free economics tutoring by friendly, knowledgeable students is offered on a drop-in basis. Look for the tutoring table with a sign saying "Economics."
  
  
• Not sure about your reading skills? The Reading Laboratory is available to assist students with reading and study techniques for any academic class. It tests students' comprehension and gives out materials to assist with reading skills. A Reading Tutor is also available. Sign up for a 25-minute appointment on the bulletin board.

  Drop-in Research and Internet Skills workshops (extra credit)

  A schedule will be distributed shortly for workshops in the Learning Assistance Center on library research methods and using the Internet (5 points each, maximum of 2 workshops).

Dates are approximate and may be adjusted during the semester.